At this time, there is a great
debate within our nation regarding this matter, whether our nation should have
this law or not. And, personally I do support this law and these are my
thoughts, arguments and answer to some arguments I’ve heard.
First, in terms of the
Christian Faith, this law is not against the Christian belief. I, as a
Christian, DO NOT support killing / murder, BUT what I support is the law
implementing Death Penalty (punishment by death given a proof without any doubt
that a suspect has truly committed the crime). Now, there is a difference from
simply “killing” to “giving a punishment of death” to a person who committed
crime. Some would think there is no difference and would argue that it is not
man’s right to take a life but God alone, referring to the God of the Bible. If
we go to the Bible, we do find God’s commandment: “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus
20:13), BUT if we go to Deuteronomy 20:16–18, we find God commanding Israel to
completely destroy other tribes. We also would read in Lev. 20:10 "If a
man commits adultery with another man's wife--with the wife of his
neighbor--both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death."..
Now, that seem to be contradicting but if we look at it in a different
perspective unlike most people do, they don’t contradict. Because God’s
commandment not to kill or not to murder is a command towards an individual
person acting in his own decision / free will representing his own personal
selfish motive whereas the other verses are God’s command to a nation to act in
accordance to the pursuit of God’s own standard for order, peace and as God
sees it to be for the good of the nation.
Second, let’s go to logic or
common sense. If we are to choose not allowing death penalty in our country
just because of the understanding that it is only God who takes life to the
extent that even the worst of all criminals can’t be given this verdict, then the
nation should stop recruiting soldiers, because soldiers have no choice but to
kill when in the line of battle. It would be unfair for soldiers being placed
in such a situation where they have no choice but to kill for the sake of
defending the nation as well as defending their life. Well, I know that’s an
absurd thinking because having no soldiers for the country will simply invite
the nation’s destruction. My point is having no death penalty is just like the
same as a country having no soldiers to defend the country.
Now, let me lay my thoughts
about the other reasons why people do not agree on death penalty. If I would
think about it, the number one reason is connected in the faith of people,
namely the Christian Faith. But as I’ve shared early on, the “Christian Faith”
itself is not against death penalty. Within the Christian Faith, there is
division on how one believes regarding the matter. And sadly, those who are in
power are the only ones more of being heard via media, claiming it to be all in
the name of God. But in reality it is a twisted idea or concept if one looks
and studies the Bible. And I would re-iterate the fact that it is God who
really authored this kind of penalty from the very start when He said to Adam
and Eve "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not
eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
(Genesis 2:17)
Some would say or argue that
this kind of God’s commandment is just for the Old Testament time. But shall we
consider the Christian belief that God is unchanging (Psalm 102:27, Malachi
3:6, Hebrews 13:8). This will contradict the argument that God’s commandment is
just for the Old Testament. Furthermore I could point to verses like Rev. 21:8
or Matthew 25:41 where God gives judgment like that of the death penalty. Furthermore
reading Romans 13:1-7, we find God’s instruction about God blessing / giving
the authority to the government to be the agent for peace and order. Therefore
making laws that promote peace and order; And, enforce justice even in terms of
giving the kind of punishment for the good of the nation. This is the Government’s
responsibility. But, this doesn’t mean God agrees on everything the government
decides on. Just reading the history of Israel gives a picture of how imperfect
the government is, and we find that if the leadership is in line with God’s
ways and principles, then the nation is blessed. But when it goes against God’s
principles or laws, then the nation is cursed. Just like the issue about allowing
same sex marriage which is surely an abomination to God’s law and principles, see how God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
Nevertheless, that’s not the issue here that I wish to talk about. This is just
one of the issues the government is dealing with and if the government fails to
decide rightly, instead of promoting peace and order, the government can go to
a direction of promoting disorder and confusion.
Some would say that religious
belief should be separated from the Government quoting the “separation of church
and state”. But I would have to ask, what makes the government? Or when we talk
about the constitution, how did the constitution came to existence? Didn’t these
things come from people itself who has diversified beliefs and culture? No
matter what we say or do, our laws are based on what we believe. And basically,
what we believe as what is right from what is wrong. For one thing, the
Philippines declares itself to be the only Christian nation in the orient, therefore
if that’s the case, our beliefs of what is right and wrong would be based on
the Bible. Therefore, it would be logical if the government or constitution
would base their laws on the Bible. The problem is, Philippines no longer have one
religion but many which really also contradicts the law itself mentioning “the
church” which is actually pointing to the Christian Religion. So what then? If
I remember it right or if my sources are right, the constitution or the form of
government Philippines have embraced is based from the US government who is
originally founded by the Christian community. And the origin of the “church
and state separation” was made in order to protect the church from being
controlled or dictated by government. Now? It has somewhat changed its meaning.
Nevertheless, I think the point I wish to assert is that the when it comes to
order, peace and harmony of the nation, this is the government’s goal and
focus. Whereas the church, though partly it promotes order, peace and harmony,
her (the church) main goal is actually to deal with what Jesus has been teaching
and prioritizes the Great Commission. In other words, the church and state does
have boundaries that ought to be respected and each institute ought not to
overlap boundaries. But with the diversified views and belief of people within
the nation, surely this issue will be a long debate which might never end, unless
only if the nation unites in one belief or view.
One of the arguments I’ve
heard amongst the anti-death penalty, is that they declare that such law is
an anti-poor which claims to serve only the elite or those who have money. And
their basis is past experiences which I doubt if it serves a logical basis.
This argument is also accompanied by the statement that innocent people might
be placed on death row. The problem with these arguments is that these are not
a result or caused by having a death penalty but a result of weak justice
system. If they use the argument that such law is an anti-poor law (meaning
those who have no money can’t defend themselves well), wouldn’t that be the
same as all other laws given? It does no difference to people who are sentenced
to life imprisonment, whether they are poor or not. And to argue that what if
innocents are placed in death row is not an issue of the penalty but of the
people who are corrupted by greed and of bias judgment. These kinds of thinking
just prove that people don’t trust the fairness and justice in our nation. Therefore
means, it is not an issue of the penalty but of the justice system this nation
provides.
With all these arguments, I’ll
end with these verses:
"For rulers are not a
terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in
authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is
God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not
bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries
out God's wrath on the wrongdoer." (Romans 13:3-4, ESV)