I won't flame ya def. But, a child in the womb is innocent and hardly deserve death no matter the circumstance of his conception. Someone evil, an evil that hacks people to death, slashes throats, terrorizes children (or societies..), can most definitely deserve death.
I've had some quote the "Thou Shalt Not Kill" commandment as a reason to reject the death penalty for proven criminal, even criminals of the worst kind.
I believe the truer interpretation is "Thou Shall Not Commit Murder". There is a difference between killing someone righteously and committing murder. For instance, our Soldiers Kill the enemy, they do not murder them.
What say you?
That is the ONLY correct translation of that Commandment. It is one of my biggest pet peeves when someone twists it as a defense for opposing the death penalty. There is nothing in the Bible that would lead someone to believe that the death penalty is unChristian. Both books of the Bible speak to the contrary. And I don't understand someone who would argue against the execution of someone like Jeffry Dahlmer or Son of Sam or Ted Bundy, or even some 17 year old who walked into a McDonalds or Day Care and shot up the place and killed kids. That person deserves to die. After that, it's God's call. The penalty for murder is DEATH, so saeth the Lord. If someone can show me somewhere in the Bible where God instructed someone to say, or where Jesus said, God can be the only taker of life, I'll change my tune. But Jesus said "Judge not lest ye by judged", He didn't say "the penalty for crimes shall by carried out by my Father". Jesus never even hinted that there would not be penalty at the hands of man for crimes committed against others. There should be consequence in this life for wrong actions. That's not judgement. That's consequence. Judgement is God's and God's alone. If someone was given a consequence in life that did not fit their crime, God will reverse that in the here after. But when someone is proved to have taken a human life, wantonly, willingly, and with malace, I have no compunction against visitng that same deed to them and use the State to return the favor. If someone takes a defenseless life for no reason, they forfeit their as far as I'm concerned.
:)