An Evangelical Voice on Baze

Scott Kincaid writes, "Deadly 'Cocktail' Is Beside the Point," at Evangelicals for Social Action.

But legal and public opinion, even Christian opinion, is not the sole or primary source for discerning which public policy choices disciples of Jesus should support. Ever since Jesus disarmed the religiously proper henchmen during the execution of the adulterous woman—at the time a crime widely thought to be properly deserving of the death penalty—he pronounced capital punishment improper. This act was clearly consistent with the radical idea of enemy love that Jesus preached and lived. Capital punishment is the ultimate violation of Jesus’ exhortation to love enemies.  And there are nonviolent, effective ways of protecting society from those who have murdered, such as long-term imprisonment.  These nonviolent ways of addressing the problem of violent crime are consistent with Jesus’ command to love neighbor AND enemy.

The degree of risk of pain is really beside the point.

The religion index is here.  There is a Faith Community webroll in the left-column.  Thanks to David Whettstone for forwarding this.