Research paper: Death Penalty and Church Teachings

Death Penalty and Church Teachings
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November 17, 2020
Each state or country has different ways of how to maneuver different crimes made by their citizens; the punishment depends on how the crime is being committed and who took place in doing and participating with it. Some countries whose defendants are under the legal age of eighteen are being saved from the punishments of their laws; on the other hand, some countries favor to give the defendants either proved to be true or wrongly accused and those who are under the legal a punishment which abides their constitution – the heaviest penalty or punishment that can be given to the defendant is Death Penalty. The death penalty is supported and opposed by various countries, but the Church's teaching has a significant impact on its implementation.
A death penalty is an act of killing a person who is said to have committed a crime in punishment of the said act, which breaches the laws and regulations under the state's constitution. It has been decided and came up to this way of punishment because there are crimes that do not give enough justice to the victims – this is how the death penalty was being presented to the world through some of it does not favor this punishment. This death penalty is being done in ways like beheading – sectioning the head from the body through blades, Electrocution – through electric waves, the ability of the body to function is being slowed until death, Hanging – killing through the hanging the person with use of rope tied around the neck, Lethal Injection – injecting harmful chemicals to the body, and Shooting – freed. However, the body is tied and shall be killed by guns. These are the various ways the death penalty can be done – it may be done through the hands of the designated worker or machines.[Derrida, Jacques. The death penalty. Vol. 1. University of Chicago Press, 2013.]
The death penalty can be traced back as far as the Laws of Ancient China. The death penalty is imposed on any person as a punishment for committing crimes. Earth penalty is also included in the Code of King Hammurabi. As recorded in history, the first death sentence happened in Egypt during the 16th century BC, in which the criminal was ordered to commit suicide since the wrongdoer is part of the nobility class. If the criminal is a member of non-nobility, he/she is usually given a death sentence through an ax.
Moreover, the Hittite Code also mentioned the death penalty in the 14th century BC. This can also be found in Athens' Draconian Code during the 7th century BC and the Roman Law of the Twelve Tables during the 5th century BC. The death penalty imposed during these historical times is different depending on which social class does the wrongdoer belongs to. The death penalty has been a part of historical times which still exist up until this time.[Berkowitz, Beth A. Execution and Invention: Death Penalty Discourse in Early Rabbinic and Christian Cultures. Oxford University Press, 2006]
COUNTRIES WHO FAVOURED DEATH PENALTY
Countries that strongly practice the death penalty in 2019 are China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Egypt – this sequence of places is in order of which country has the highest to slightly severe number of given death penalties in their places. As the leading country that practices the death penalty, China has reached a record of 657 deaths due to the death penalty in the year 2019. China's reason behind being in favor of this punishment has not been disclosed and has been said to be a top-secret of their government. The remaining four countries which are mentioned above have reached the percent of 86 pleaded guilty and underwent the death penalty.
This execution as a punishment in countries does not have a limitation, which means that any law does not protect people under the legal age of eighteen; this means that there is no exception for everyone who committed crimes – this was recorded in 1990. There are ten countries named: China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Sudan, Sudan, the United States of America, and Yemen – these countries have put world records for executing child offenders the year 1990. Moreover, Iran has doubled the record of the rest nine countries in the execution of people under eighteen. As time passes, some of these countries already practiced child offenders' negligence who can be subjected to the severe death penalty.[McGann, Anthony, and Wayne Sandholtz. "Patterns of death penalty abolition, 1960–2005: Domestic and international factors." International Studies Quarterly 56, no. 2 (2012): 275-289.] [Reality Check Team. “Death Penalty: How Many Countries Still Have It?,” October 14, 2018. /news/amp/world-45835584. ]
The country which did not record even one execution in the year 2013-2017 even though these countries did not abolish the death penalty in their states are the following:
Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Comoros, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominica, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guyana, Jamaica, Lebanon, Lesotho, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT DEATH PENALTY
Being a Christian does not automatically mean that one is against to death penalty. The death penalty has been part of a debatable subject matter. Utilizing various secular segments, Christians argue among themselves whether the death penalty is accepted and supported by the Bible or not. Historically, capital punishment is essential in maintaining a society's peace and order, which was widely accepted by the Christian churches.
There are Christians who are in favor of this subject matter. For instance, Pope Innocent III mentioned that judgment of blood could be exercised by a secular power without mortal sin as long as this is used as a justified punishment, and not just merely out of hatred. Moreover, the Roman Catechism also stated...