December 19, 1999 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - Pope John Paul II is calling upon all of the nations of the world to abolish the death penalty. Speaking to visitors to St. Peter’s Square earlier this month, the pope said: "I renew my appeal to all those in authority to reach an international consensus on the abolition of the death penalty" (St. Louis Post Dispatch, Dec. 13, 1999, p. A5).

The Colosseum in Rome, which witnessed the torture and brutal execution of Christians and other "enemies of the state" during the days of the Roman emperors, is now being used to focus the world’s attention on the pope’s war against the death penalty. During the year 2000, the Colosseum will be lit up with bright yellow-gold light each time an execution is suspended or commuted, or when a nation abolishes capital punishment.

This is another example of how the pope contradicts the Bible with his own teaching and tradition. While the Bible does not give governments the authority to persecute the righteous, it does give them the authority to punish evil doers and to exercise capital punishment for heinous crimes, especially for murder.

It is not murder to put criminals to death for heinous crimes. The Bible plainly says that the man who takes a life is to forfeit his own life (Ge. 9:6). The avenger of death in O.T. times was a relative or friend of the victim who put the murderer to death (De. 19:11-13). God allowed for this, and made cities of refuge as a provision for those who had killed someone accidentally. In this present dispensation, God has given civil government the authority to put offenders to death. In Rom. 13 we see that God has given nations the authority to "bear the sword" against evil. This obviously refers to capital punishment. The sword certainly does not speak of a fine or of imprisonment!

THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. Some think the Mosaic law was barbaric in its dealings with serious crime. On the contrary, it is barbaric to allow wickedness to go unpunished. When severe justice is not meted out to capital offenders, evil spreads like leaven throughout society. The wicked become increasingly brazen. Fear of God diminishes. God is not only a God of love but a God of holiness and justice. The Bible speaks of the deterrent factor of capital punishment: De. 13:11; 17:7,13; 19:20; 21:21; Ro. 13:3,4. The Bible also says that only by taking the life of the murderer can the stain of murder be cleansed from the land (Nu. 35:31-34; De. 19:13).