Capital Punishment

by Jugal Gogoi

DEFINITION:

          “Death penalty is the practice of sentencing a person to death as an obligation of the court ordered imposition, considered as a punishment to the crime committed. Death penalty is also recognized by the titles Capital punishment, execution, executing death sentence or sentence to death. Capital punishment is believed to have originated from Latin capitallis (pertaining to head) and death penalty was just severing of head in the ancient days.”[1]

METHODS OF EXECUTION[2]

          Through out the history there have been various methods of executing death penalty to the criminals. But here are ten of the methods that are currently in use worldwide.

Lethal Injection: IV tubes are inserted in to his arms of the criminal and then a saline solution is fed through the tubes. Usually three types of slutions—high dose of surgical anesthesia called Sodium thiopental, a muscle relaxant called pavulon, and a toxic agent called potassium chloride—death takes place within a minute.

The Electric Chair: First a very high volt of current (over 2000 volts) is applied to cause unconsciousness and to stop heart and then in a fraction of seconds the second current of about 8 amps will be applied to destroy the internal organs. It takes hardly a few seconds for the person to die.

Gas Chamber: First the prisoner is sealed into a airtight chamber and then they insert sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and cyanide pellets. As a result of the chemical reaction between these both lethal hydrogen cyanide (HCN) gas is generated and the prisoner dies a very painful death.

Single Person Shooting: This is one of the most common methods of execution where the prisoner is shot by a single bullet by one single executioner.

Firing Squad: A group of firing squad fire bullets into the heart of the prisoner and within no time the person is dead.

Hanging: Hanging is carried out in a variety of ways: the short drop is when the prisoner is made to stand on an object which is then thrust away – leaving them to die by strangulation… Suspension hanging (very popular in Iran) is when the gallows itself is movable. The prisoner stands on the ground with the noose around their neck and the gallows is then lifted in to the air, taking the prisoner with it. 

Beheading: This is most common method in Islamic countries. The most frequently seen cases involve beheading by a curved, single-edged sword. The sentence is normally carried out on a Friday night in public outside the main mosque of the city after prayers. The penalty can be dealt for rape, murder, drug related crimes, and apostasy (rejection of religious beliefs).

Guillotine: The device itself is a large timber frame with a space at the bottom for the neck of the prisoner. At the top of the machine is a large angled blade. Once the prisoner is secured, the blade is dropped, severing the head and bringing about immediate death.

Stoning: Stoning to death is when a person’s movements are restricted and an organized group throws stones at them until dead. Under Islamic Sharia law, stoning is an acceptable method of execution and it is used in many Islamic nations.

Garrote: The garrote is a device that strangles a person to death. It normally consisted of a seat in which the prisoner is restrained while the executioner tightens a metal band around his neck until he dies.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT CAPITAL PUNISHMENT?

          If we look for the origin in the Bible we will see that God is the one who instituted capital punishment. One clear reference is Genesis 9:6 where God said, “Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man.” And the whole Old Testament is full of verses where God clearly requires death penalty—like Exodus 21:12-14; Leviticus 24:17,21, Exodus 21:15,17, Deuteronomy 21:18-21, Exodus 21:16, Exodus 21:28-29, Deuteronomy 13:5, 1 Samuel 28:9, Leviticus 20:2-5 so on and so forth. Many would like to say that the commandment mentioned Exodus 20:13 is prohibition against capital punishment. But if we look at the context, that argument is not convincing at all.

          In the New Testament Jesus said that he came to the earth not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (or to reinforce it). In many of the verses in the New Testament we see Jesus prohibiting murder - like Matthew 5:38-41, Luke 9:52-56, Matthew 7:1-5 etc. But for these all verses, the context was not capital punishment but rather was more on personal revenge. Many would say that Jesus' showing mercy to the adulterous woman in John 8:3-11 is a proof that Jesus is against capital punishment. But the context clearly indicates that it is not a convincing argument as well. And moreover, this section of the Gospel is not found in the earliest and most reliable manuscripts.

          “There is no clear mandate in the Bible either for or against capital punishment. The Old Testament Law prescribed the death penalty for an extensive list of crimes, many of which are considered minor today. Based on New Testament teachings, the moral aspects of the Old Testament law still apply to Christians, but the ceremonial and legal aspects do not. The general principles taught by Jesus and His disciples oppose any kind of revenge, but there is no specific teaching against capital punishment.”[3]

Here are a couple of questions for us to think about—

1. The question rises—Do we (human beings) have any right to decide who needs to live and who does not? Can we take the life of another person no matter how grievous crime he/she has committed?
2. What are the benefits of the capital punishment? Are there not more cons than the pros? How about some alternative punishments (life imprisonment) that would not allow the person to commit crimes again?
3. What if capital punishment is commanded in the religious holy scriptures of a particular religion (like Sharia law in Muslim religion etc.)? Shouldn’t the religion be the highest standard of morality for them?
4. If at all capital punishment is allowed in a country, what all boundaries should be set in order for it to be less questionable? What should be the measuring scale (like number or degree of crime) for determining a criminal worthy of this punishment?
5. How should we care about or treat the families (at least the immediate family members) of the criminals who were executed through capital punishment? Should the government provide some special privileges to them?

DEAR FRIENDS, IT WOULD BE A GREAT FAVOR IF YOU KINDLY POST YOUR VALUABLE COMMENTS BELOW? THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

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          [1] Ramya Sadasivam, “Death Penalty and Its Related Ethical Issues,” The Pleasure Painting, http://ramyawrites.com/2010/05/07/death-penalty-and-its-related-ethical-issues/ (access August 6, 2013).

          [2] Jamie Frater, “Top 10 Modern Methods of Execution,” Listverse, http://listverse.com/2007/09/18/top-10-modern-methods-of-execution/ (access August 6, 2013).

        [3] “What Does the Bible Say About Capital Punishment and the Death Penalty?,” The Christian Bible Reference Site, http://www.christianbiblereference.org/faq_CapitalPunishment.htm (accessed August 6, 2013).

Divorce and Remarriage

DIVORCING FROM GOD'S ORIGINAL DESIGN

By Gulnaz Naushad

Introduction:

Divorce and remarriage have been under discussion even during the Bible times. We thank God for that for we can find for ourselves today, what is God’s design for marriage relationship. However before we look at the teaching about marriage and divorce in the Bible it would be better if we first look at God’s original design for marriage.

God’s Original Design for Marriage:

Nature of marriage:  man and woman
Duration of marriage: lifelong commitment (Matt 19:6, Rom 7:2)
The number of parties in marriage: 
a)     one man, one woman
b)     Each man should have his own wife and each woman should have her own husband (1 Cor 7:2)
c)      elder must be “the husband of but one wife”(1 Tim3:2)
d)     The king shall not multiply wives for himself (Deu 17:17)

In his original design God has no divorce and remarry on the list. This is the design Jesus refer to when he was approached by Pharisees.

Jesus affirms God’s plan for human marriages. (Matt 19:3-9; Mark 10:2-12; Luke 16:18)

 "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. They said to him, "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?" He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery."
    
a)     They were created with this design meant for being together in oneness.
b)     Divorce was permitted by Moses  (not instituted by God) because of the hardness of man’1s heart (Matt 5:31. It was to protect the woman.
c)      This however does not change the original design which applies that a couple may get divorced but should not remarry for that would be adultery. There is an exception clause which implies that there are instances where a couple may divorce however that also does not allow them to remarry.
 
Why remarriage is prohibited in the case of divorce? In spite of divorce, The Union is Not Broken in God’s Eyes
1) Matt 19:3-9; Mark 10:2-12
Jesus is setting a rule here and therefore make a conclusion.
Husband and wife become one (inseparable) for two reasons:
A)    Their physical union
B)     And God binding them together
Therefore Man shall not separate them. Divorce is possible but their union is unbreakable. Writing a piece of paper is possible but it will not nullify the wedlock which is instituted by God himself. Even if they get divorced and remarry both parties commit sin.
 
Andrew Cornes brings out that for adultery the word moicatai is used which refers to adultery which means married man or woman having sexual relationship outside their marriage. Which implies that ever after divorce their union is not broken therefore marrying another party means adultery.[1]

 Jesus Strongly Condemns Remarriage as Adultery (Matt 5:31-32, Lk 16:18)

“Everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commit adultery.”
 

“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.”

The Separated should seek Reconciliation, not Remarriage

 To the married I give this charge (not I but the Lord) the wife should not separate from her husband. But if she does she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband and the husband should not divorce his wife. (1 Cor 7:10-16)

Paul presents three rules: two for wife and one for husband

a)     Wife should not separate from her husband
b)     If she does she should remain unmarried or reconciled to him
c)      Husband should not divorce his wife.
Thus a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives. But if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Accordingly she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies she is free from that law and if she marries another man she is not an adulterous Rom 7:2-3

Paul here reaffirms the impossibility of the breaking of union a couple has in marriage.

a)     It only breaks with the death of a partner.
b)     Otherwise if a spouse remarries while the other partner is still alive commits adultery.
 
The limits of reconciliation:
Once a couple is divorced they can only reconcile to each other if they remain single. If one of them marry and get divorce even from second husband they cannot get reconciled for it is even worse. Even in the case of death of this man or woman cannot reconcile with their original spouse. (Deut 24:1-4)

How should we respond to those who divorce and even remarry:
Reconciliation:

The first thing we should seek is reconciliation. If we have couples in our churches who go through rough patches and seprate or even divorce each other we as leaders and friends help them to seek couselling and reconciliation. Usually husband or wife of both carry deep wounds in their hearts which make their lives miserable. If they receive healing their relationship will be healed.

Sometimes wives find hard to reconcile with an abusive husband because they have fears and no assurance that he will change. In such instance husband needs to seek medical help. As he finds out the reasons behind his abusive behavior and deals with it the wife will more likely trust him and will agree to reconcile.
 

Education:
Education is very important. Teaching about marriage starts in pre marriage counseling starts. I have witnessed how we skip the commandment about husband and wife should not commit adultery when it comes to teach children. We should teach how husband and wife commits adultery. It is not just having extra marital relationship but remarriage also.

Church leadership administration deliberately declare a clear Biblical position regarding divorce and remarriage and have a strong ministry in family life. 

Redemption:

Is divorce and remarriage a pardonable sin? Is adultery a pardonable sin? Through Jesus’s ministry we know it is a pardonable sin with a command “go and sin no more”. In that context remarriage is a pardonable sin. But the couple has to confess and seek God’s forgiveness. Church should accept those couples who have sought forgiveness. However couple should not remarry thinking that later they will seek God’s forgiveness.

Conclusion:
Divorce is possible but not desirable by God, since it does not match with God’s original design. Divorce does not break the union that is established between couples by God and through sexual union. As a result, when a divorced person remarries, he/she commits adultery.

A couple may get divorced but should stay single. If possible, they must aim for reconciliation.

Remarriage is only permissible in the case of death of a partner. However, remarriage to the previous spouse is prohibited even in the case of death of the second spouse.

The church has a role to play in the lives of its’ congregation by teaching and preparing couples for a lasting married life. By providing counseling and prayer support for those who go through conflicts. By extending God’s redemption to the remarriages that have accord but understand that they committed a sin by violating God’s original design and bringing disgrace to him through their relationships.

SOURCE:
Cornes, Andrew. Divorce and Remarriage: Biblical Principles and Pastoral Practice. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993.

Geisler, Norman. Christian Ethics: Contemporary Issues and Options. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2010.
House, Wayne H., ed. Divorce and Remarriage: Four Christian views. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 1990.

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[1] Andrew Cornes, Divorce and Remarriage: Biblical principles and Pastoral practice, 193.

Disciplining Children: Correction vs. Abuse

by Dags Miguel

New York Times recently published an article regarding corporal punishment and it talked about recent child abuse cases in the United States. The article discussed one speific case that caught the attention of their national media:

"Larry and Carri Williams of Sedro-Woolley, Wash., were home-schooling their six children when they adopted a girl and a boy, ages 11 and 7, from Ethiopia in 2008. The two were seen by their new parents as rebellious, according to friends. Late one night in May 2012, the adopted girl, Hana, was found face down, naked and emaciated in the backyard; her death was caused by hypothermia and malnutrition, officials determined. According to the sheriff’s report, the parents had deprived her of food for days at a time and had made her sleep in a cold barn or a closet and shower outside with a hose. And they often whipped her, leaving marks on her legs." 

According to the report, what influenced the couple to discipline their foster children in this manner was because of Michael and Debi Pearl. The couple, founders of the No Greater Joy, authored To Train Up a Child. Michael and Debi Pearl are Christians, missionaries and both church leaders in Pleasantville, Tennessee. 

Michal Pearl says physical discipline is necessary for children.
Photo Credit: Josh Andersen, NY Times 

The book, according to the NY Times, is a popular resource for child discipline and parenting. It has sold more than 670,000 copies and has garnered praise from various groups and organizations. According to the book, in order to discourage misbehavior on children, parents are to hit the arms, legs or back, even using a quarter-inch flexible plumbing line that according to Mr. Pearl, “can be rolled up and carried in your pocket”, and according to him is “a good spanking instrument... too light to cause damage to the muscle or the bone.”

A lot of people and not just Americans feel this way about corporal punishment, but the problem lies when corporal punishment borders abuse already. Indeed, disciplining children has always been a difficult issue in our society today, especially in view of cultural differences and religion where definitions and beliefs come in various forms and shapes. Legislation behind protecting children's rights, its implementation and its interpretation are generally considered clearly defined by law in many countries. However in actuality, it is still somewhat subjective because of how we as people, feel about it. Case in point, the "biblical view" of the Pearls. 

“70% of abused children turn into abusive adults. Donate at savethechildren.mx. Break the circle.”
Photo Credit: http://www.savethechildren.mx/

Global Effort for Children's Rights

Thanks to a concerted global effort which can be seen in United Nation's UNICEF, measures have been put into place to ensure that society is held accountable and to prioritize the welfare of children all around the world. in 1989, world leaders convened to ensure that: "the basic human rights that children everywhere have: the right to survival; to develop to the fullest; to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life. The four core principles of the Convention are non-discrimination; devotion to the best interests of the child; the right to life, survival and development; and respect for the views of the child." This has become a legal binding document, incorporated to legislation in all supporting countries, to uphold the rights of children. An example of this can be seen in the Philippines where abuses on children are still prevalent despite the presence of various public and private initiatives and measures. 

Public & Private Sector Against Child Abuse

In the Philippines, according to Republic Act 7610, the law clearly states child abuse and even defines it in varying forms: Physical Abuse, Neglect, Physical Neglect, Educational Neglect, Emotional Neglect, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Exploitation, Emotional abuse, Child trafficking, Child Labor, and Abandonment. Even failure to report of such abuses is a criminal offense. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has been at the helm of ensuring that these laws are being implemented, and have been looking after the protection of not just children, but even men and women who are victims various forms of abuse. 

Bantay Bata 163, a well known non-profit organization (NGO), has also been at the helm in protecting the rights of children, focusing on raising awareness and support to promote a abuse-free Filipino society. 

Child abuse ad in Spain which changes depending on height (adult vs. child perspective)
Photo Credit: http://www.inhabitots.com; Advertised by: http://www.anar.org/

What Scriptures Say about Disciplining Children

It seems that society has put into place measures to ensure abuse does not happen to children regardless if they were being disciplined in the process, or not. But just like the Pearls, a lot of Christians refer to the bible to justify the use of physical discipline in correcting, teaching, and showing concern to children. Indeed, there are quite a number of biblical references regarding discipline, and a lot of them point to supporting that of Mr. Pearl's view on the use of physical punishment: 

• "Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him." - Proverbs 22:15, ESV
• "Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart." -Proverbs 29:17, ESV
• "Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death." -Proverbs 19:18, ESV
• "The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother." -Proverbs 29:15, ESV

Does this mean and entail that physical discipline is 100% surely the will of the Lord? Shouldn't culture be taken into consideration that the context of scripture pertains only to its original Jewish audience? Having established that the bible as the word of God and the main reference of Christianity in his daily living, I would like to believe that much clarification is in order as to not misunderstand what God truly meant by disciplining children by physical means. Because scripture also establishes:

• "“5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “ My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” 12 “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”" - Hebrews 12:5-6, 11, ESV
• "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." -Ephesians 6:4, ESV

As explained by Hebrews, at the root of disciplining children by parents and elders should be love, because God himself disciplines out of love, and that this loving discipline bears fruit peace and righteousness, opposite to that of debilitating physical ailments and emotional trauma as outcomes of abuse. Ephesians even goes on to clarify that discipline goes hand in hand with proper instruction of God's word, the explanation and reason as to why such discipline has to take place for children. The assurance of love is what often is missed out by parents in their manner of discipline, and in place of a training and teaching moment for children and adults, becomes instead sin that bears fruit hurt and misunderstanding. 

Jesus even further adds that when mature, elder men and women of faith cause children to sin, in our context when discipline goes out of hand and leads children to not just feel unloved, but leading them to think, feel and believe differently about who God is, or by leading them to commit suicide out of much abuse, or maybe leading them to a life of crime, Jesus has this to say: 

• "6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." -Matthew 18:6, ESV

Conclusion

According to the NY Times' interview of Mr. Pearl, "blaming their book for extreme abuse by a few unstable parents is preposterous and that they explicitly counsel against acting in anger or causing a bruise. They say that their methods, properly used, yield peace and happy teenagers... But he acknowledged that the methods are not right for out-of-control or severely overburdened parents." 

Indeed, no matter how society, the bible or even self-help books clearly define what we should feel about discipline, it is still up to us to at the end of the day what really happens in our respective schools, in nurseries, in day care centers, in birthday parties and in our homes. As responsible adults, we are to discipline accordingly the younger generation to become mature, productive men and women of society, yet it also demand for us to make sure that it takes place in a manner that is not just biblical, but socially and morally ethical.

Despite not having my own kids, the law and the bible is clear that when I do become a parent, I wouldn't have any excuse as to how I should truly bring up and raise my future children. We as a society have no excuse to not know what to do. In response to this issue, here are some ways I feel we can ensure we are truthfully protecting the rights of children: 

1. Control our emotions at the onset of discipline and anger 
2. To be well informed by law, by scripture what we ought to do as mature men and women
3. To seek help (counseling, therapy) from reliable public and private institutions
4. To be vigilant and report abuses regardless of circumstance (family ties, etc.)
5. To support NGO's and the government to fight and promote child abuse

Discussion

What do you personally feel about disciplining children and of physical discipline? What are your experiences in terms of discipline growing up as a child? Do share your thoughts on this blog by writing them down on the "comments" section. Thank you!

Sources

- http://www.dswd.gov.ph/

- http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/07/us/deaths-put-focus-on-pastors-advocacy-of-spanking.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

- http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/january/editorial-spanking-abuse.html?start=1

- http://www.abs-cbnfoundation.com/bb163/

- http://www.unicef.org/crc/

- http://www.inhabitots.com/child-abuse-prevention-ad-delivers-secret-message-only-kids-can-see/

- http://feministing.com/2012/06/21/powerful-new-mexican-psas-show-cycle-of-abuse/

- http://www.anar.org/

- http://nogreaterjoy.org/

- http://www.pcw.gov.ph/law/republic-act-7610

Spousal Abuse

by Joshua Miranda :)

 Mistreatment of any kind, to a marriage partner could be defined as spousal abuse. It could mean physical violence or anger of some form. Anger if holy/righteous anger (Eph.4:26-27 used in  situations to solve problems) is not at all abuse; but anger that gets out of control (filled with a heart that’s not right with God) can lead to a sinful abusive response to the opposite sex. Abusing others comes out of a heart of selfishness, while scripture tells us to love one another sacrificially /unconditionally (John 13:34; Eph. 5:21), abusing the spouse is an attitude opposite to this command. Scripture doesn’t ever address the issue of spousal abuse because God expects two individuals in a marriage covenant to love one another and to submit to one another.

Spousal abuse sows cords of discontent in a marriage and hence it is important to God. Women who suffered from spousal abuse believed that they were abused because they caused an anger bust in their husbands and they believe that they deserved what they got as they were the ones who wronged their husbands. Also the offender can think of no other way to vent his anger towards his spouse and probably he saw his dad do it to his mum so he acted in a same way (like father like son)  (#disgusting)

Even though women suffer physical abuse they are of the opinion and have hope that probably it won’t happen again. They think they are the ones who can change the actions of their loved ones. They also stay in the relationship because they are dependent on their husbands; they think about how their children will suffer because of the absence of their spouse and hence they do not leave their spouse. Most of these cases go unreported and happen behind closed doors.

A Christian marriage is to be compared to a marriage relationship between God and His Church. Anything that damages the marriage relationship, damages the believers relationship with God. While both the partners in a Christian marriage have to show some signs of Christlikeness the Husband has more responsibility as the head of the family; he is to love his wife just as he loves himself (Eph. 5:25-33), he has to be considerate towards her (1 Pet. 5:7), be gentle towards her (Col. 3:19) and he needs to honor her (1Thess. 4:4). Marriage is expressed with acts of love like patience, humility, truth, affirmation, hope etc. described in 1Cor. 13:1-7. There is no place for abuse in a marriage and hence scripture does not tell us that one is allowed to abuse his or her spouse.

Case Study: I know of person who started attending  church some time back. This person was an unbeliever before she attended church and she was married to an unbeliever. Once she was a regular member of church she brought her husband along (who became a believer), but over time her husband didn’t like church because he was prohibited from drinking and smoking. To make a long story short the husband started to abuse the wife physically. Every day when she returned from work the husband would threaten to kill her. This guy would not listen to the elders or the pastors of the church. Many individuals like this mostly want scripture to suit their needs and never want to be corrected by scripture. So what does the pastor do in a situation like this? You know what scripture says about divorce. The only reason  why two individuals in a marriage contract can divorce each other is if either one lives a life of infidelity (Matt 5:32) or a Christian that was abandoned by an unbelieving spouse (1 Cor. 7:15). Divorce is not even commanded by God because God is a God who hates divorce (Mal. 2:16) just like he cannot look at sin. So in conclusion ......

Q) If you were the Pastor of this church or you saw this happen to one of your Christian friends what advice would you give them? How should the spouse act/respond in a situation like this? 

Note: All Images are got from Google Images and are not my own .