Chapter Seven
Death Penalty: A Spiritual Viewpoint
The misconception in the Bible that God condones an ‘eye for an eye’ has caused many to support capital punishment (death penalty). The Bible was meant to be taken symbolically, not literally. The punishments forthcoming are to be dealt with by karmic justice not by mankind’s fallible justice system.
There is karmic debt incurred by those who participate in State, Federal, and/or Military judicial executions. It is one thing to pronounce judgment against an individual, and sentence him/her to life in prison without the possibility of parole. It is totally another matter to pronounce judgment against an individual and give them the penalty of death!
Time in prison itself can transform even the most lost and hardened soul. Time itself can provide them with the free will choice to transcend hatred. Turning it into love and understanding of oneself, and of their fellow man. But a sentence of death stops the process of inner reflection and enlightenment of the individuals’ soul. It stalls the spiritual advancement we all come here seeking to experience.
Over the last 40 year period over 200 innocent people were wrongfully convicted to death row and later released. How many others were executed before the real truth could be found.
Bigotry and Racism bias has been proven to play a major role in deciding who is charged and sentenced in death penalty cases. Especially if the victim was ‘White’ and the defendant was Hispanic or African American.
The cost to try, convict, sentence, appeals process and maintain an individual on death row is astronomical when compared to trying, convicting, sentencing and maintaining a person in prison for life.
Over 70 percent of all the nations on earth now have abolished the death penalty. This is due to international standards on human rights. The United States of America is one of the top five nations still executing their citizens along with China and Iran.
Think long and hard before you condemn an individual to death. Do you truly think our loving God would want ‘YOU’ to destroy a life ‘HE’ created?