Even DNA evidence can be false. A report about Houston's crime lab proved that.

"The findings have been shocking.
According to Bromwich's reports, poorly trained lab workers faked or misinterpreted tests, withheld exculpatory findings and gave false testimony in court.
Two convictions have been overturned. Josiah Sutton served more than four years in prison for rape before being freed in 2003 after a DNA retest contradicted earlier Houston lab work that helped convict him. And George Rodriguez served 17 years in prison for rape before being released in 2004 after DNA testing discredited lab work done in his case."
http://www.khou.com/crimelab/stories....509e945c.html

There is no benefit to the death penalty, especially since it will always be imperfect. I would rather send 100 murderers to life in prison without parole that kill one innocent person.

If the jury and judge are 200% certain, they should all agree to face the same death penalty as the innocent person they executed.

Maybe Jesus was wrong when he said "turn the other cheek"? Christians never cease to amaze me. Can you give me one NT scripture supporting the death penalty?

You could probably use that same argument, and say, "Can you give me one NT scripture supporting ANY kind of punishment?"

Jesus rebuked many people, but it was always in the context of instruction, not revenge. "Revenge is my says the Lord."
Maybe that is because Christians are supposed to turn the other cheek, exhibit a Christ like grace, and show the world they are followers of Christ

Mt 5:17 -
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

Yeah, that is all fine and dandy but we never see Jesus endorsing the death penalty. The one time he was confronted with it (other than his own) he stopped it and said "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." He also said "If a man strikes you, turn the other cheek." Further Paul goes on to say "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."

Revenge is "getting even" at your own whim for lesser sins against you. I.e., someone gossipping about you, or hitting you in their car. Do you chase down the guy who just rammed into your car accidentally or carelessly by slamming your car back into his, or shooting his dog? No. You call the police, they take a report and insurance companies are exchanged, etc. Everything is conducted in a LAWFUL MANNER. Right?

Justice is served through the courts lawfully for breaking God's commandments. For example, when you murder someone, you not only commit a grave offense against the victim, you've also broken one of God's commandments. God says, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." Side note: If this is not done, life is degraded and devalued, just as you see in our society today. There are more killings, many senseless (if we can say any of them are) simply because they know they aren't going to lose anything except (temporarily) a life not holding down a job, paying bills, taking a responsible part in society. (Many, after being released, commit another crime just to get back in! that doesn't say a lot for "punishment"!) It doesn't say much for a person's life, either, who died needlessly at the hands of another person when the one responsible for the death is allowed to go on living. What it implies is the victim's life wasn't worth much if anything at all.

To back that up, when someone steals from you and is caught, don't you expect to be paid restitution for what was stolen? Why don't you just say, "Oh well, it wasn't anything. No biggie." If a thief should be made to give back or repay you for what was stolen from you, shouldn't a killer have to pay with something comparable? (God commands that the thief repay 7 times, BTW.)

"Man" has chosen to "play God" by deciding the punishment instead of obeying His laws.

A lesson for you on "turning the other cheek: Jesus advised His followers to turn the other cheek as the Romans were often humiliating their Jewish subjects by striking them once on the left cheek with an open hand, then coming back with a blow to the other cheek with the back of the hand. When other (opposite) cheek is turned, however, it lessens the blow of the second strike. His words to "turn the other cheek" was practical advice: simply to ward off the severity of the second blow.

How do you understand "heaping coals of fire on your enemies head"?

The reason He stopped the stoning is because they had not complied with the law. Many of these same accusers of the woman had (more than likely) been with her also at one time or another.

Analyze this: John 8: 1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. 2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. 3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

If they caught her in the v-e-r-y act, was she committing adultery with herself?? or was there another person caught with her?

Again, it goes back to the LAW. These men were going to kill this woman they caught committing adultery with a man who was also committing adultery. Yet they had no intention of killing the man. This is the age-old "double-standard", in operation way back then!

Jesus exposed their hypocrisy. (I wonder how many other acts of stoning occurred that He did NOT stop? or was there just one during the time of His ministry?)

Joh 14:15 -
If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Joh 15:10 -
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

1. The dictionary disagrees with your definition of revenge.
Revenge re·venge P Pronunciation Key (r-vnj)
tr.v. re·venged, re·veng·ing, re·veng·es
To inflict punishment in return for (injury or insult).
To seek or take vengeance for (oneself or another person); avenge.

2. The courts enforce US laws, not God's commandments. If you murder someone you are prosecuted because you broke a US law, not a commandment. I have never heard of a court punishing someone for violating the sabbath or using the lord's name in vain. On your side note, you are only telling half of the story. "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth'. But I say to you, do not resist an evildoer. If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." (Matthew 5:38-39, NRSV) Jesus expressly disapproved of the "eye for an eye" mentality. Giving a killer life in prison protects the dignity of the victim's life because it ensures the killer will never commit another murder. Finally, it degrades the value of life to accidently execute an innocent person and it is well known that is a possibility.

3. A stolen object can be returned. A killed person cannot be brought back to life. So even if you execute a killer, you are not consistent with your analogy. But Jesus did say that if someone takes your tunic that you should also give him your cloak. Life in prison is just as sufficient as the death penalty on this point.

4. It looks like Christians don't follow Jesus when he tells them to turn the other cheek.

5. It may be true that turning the other cheek against the Romans would soften the blow, but I think you explaining it away as practical advise is a huge stretch. First, Jesus did not qualify his statement by saying "If a Roman strikes one cheek..." instead he leaves it a universal statement. Surely not everyone would strike the other cheek like the Romans did. If this command was only for practical purposes, it is bad advise since in some cases turning the other cheek would make the blow much worse since it would leave you completely vulnerable. I think better practical advise would have been "if someone strikes your cheek, raise your arms to block a likely second attack." Second, Jesus does not give any advise of what to do next. If he intended for this to only be a practical tip and not a universal truth, he would have needed to instruct them what to do next. Third, this was not the only teaching Jesus gave that tells Christians to not resist evil done to them... "Do not resist an evil person." "If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles." Finally, Jesus gives this statement in the middle of a long list of teachings with absolutely no mention of Romans. If we are to assume that turn the other cheek speaks specifically and only towards Romans, should we assume that all of these teachings are just practical advise?

6. I think the coals passage is stating that your enemies will expect you to seek revenge, but if you show Christ like love that will be a painful shock to them.


But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.