God’s Covenant with Noah (in part):
“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.” (Genesis 9:6)
Notice that the man (or animal) that sheds the blood of a man is not killed for punishment or revenge, but out of a reverence for the image of God! This is totally different than our current concept of Capital Punishment. The way it is worded is almost sacramental. This is an incredible statement about the value of man in God’s eye. Man is seen as the image of God and as holy (or at least with the potential for holiness), and taking this life has ultimate consequences. A man’s own blood is the atonement for the man he has killed.
This is why I believe in Capital Punishment!
Well met.