A Pro-Life, Christian Perspective on Abolishing the Death Penalty

Abstract

Although many Christians oppose abortion with compelling pro-life arguments, many of those same individuals continue to support the use of the death penalty. This discrepancy creates seemingly inconsistent approaches with regard to valuing life, bringing to question what is truly “pro-life.” In light of these inconsistencies, a Christian perspective on capital punishment calls for the same pro-life approach as that applied to the political issue of abortion, and these pro-life arguments can be employed to argue against the continued uses of both.

This paper addresses these inconsistent life views by arguing for Christian engagement in the fight against capital punishment from a pro-life perspective. The paper begins with an evolution of Christian thinking on the death penalty, beginning with Biblical allowances for executions in the Old Testament and progressing to opinions from past and contemporary theologians. The paper identifies the modern era of capital punishment, including its modern uses and Christian advocacy for its continued use. Ultimately, however, this paper argues that the death penalty from a Christian perspective is impermissible and identifies the need for Christians to engage politically in seeking abolition of the death penalty.

Keywords: death penalty, pro-life, abortion, capital punishment, abolishment, Christian