Religion and Capital Punishment | Homework Helpers

Religion and Capital Punishment
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Religion and Capital Punishment
The personal decisions made on a daily basis in one’s occupational field not only affect an individual’s present and future undertakings, but they also have a major impact on the existence of other people in the society. Apart from the personal principles and values which dictate these choices, other external forces are influential in such situations. Some of these chief factors are the religious aspects upheld by an individual or the community. One’s religious beliefs may solely dictate decisions made by an individual as well as the policies adopted by the management and subordinate staff of a commercial organization. Nonetheless, owing to the differences in these religious principles and values within a community, decisions guided by certain beliefs may result in conflicts. This explains why some employees experience religious discrimination in an organizational setting.
For example, a profession within the local, national, or international law enforcement departments may require an individual to make his or her decisions based on certain religious beliefs upheld by the society. To start with, Christianity prohibits murder under any circumstance. This is in accordance with the section of the Ten Commandments stipulated in the Old Testament of the Bible. The Bible forbids any individual to end the life of another person (Hood & Hoyle, 2008). Accordingly, most adherents of this religious conviction justify the rules adopted by law enforcement agencies in various countries regarding murder by using this Biblical requirement. Administrative organs in these countries have stringent policies aimed at punishing people charged with murder. One of the common measures regarding the castigation of such crimes is the capital penalty.
Nonetheless, some administrative agencies and law enforcement officers do not agree with this punishment concept. This is mainly due to the conflict involving the value of human life and the religious beliefs related to such matters. A large number of government personnel, members of the public and private sectors, and the general population view the death penalty as a contradiction of the basic principles of the law, especially in line with the religious beliefs upheld by the community. This is because most religions offer no exceptions for the rule that condemns murder. Based on this argument, capital punishment is a direct violation of the religious values promoted by such religions as Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism. Subsequently, the law enforcement agencies are in no position to direct the extermination of criminals charged with such transgressions as murder, robbery with violence, or rape.
Moreover, most religious convictions advocate for forgiveness as a way of promoting unity in the community. For instance, in the Bible, Jesus Christ advised adherents of Christianity to forgive all people who wrong them in order to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven (Hood & Hoyle, 2008). Nonetheless, some individuals within this professional field use certain scenarios governing the ancient proceedings in various religious convictions to justify the death penalty. For example, in Christianity, the Bible states that people receive a similar judgment to the measure they use to condemn others. Based on this argument, officers within various local, national, or international bureaus mandated to enforce the stipulated rules and offer justice in the society may use this Biblical verse to make decisions regarding the capital punishment. According to their personal principles and understanding of this religious belief, criminals charged with murder or other unjust activities ought to undergo unfair treatment such as the death penalty as a way of offering them a fair judgment with reference to their actions.
All these arguments are in line with certain scenarios within the Bible. For this reason, similar to other religions, followers of Christianity doctrines use different Biblical verses to justify their stands on the matter. Members of the law enforcement agencies use similar decisive factors to make decisions regarding similar situations. For instance, in 1566, the Roman Catechism asserted that law enforcement departments in a nation had the power from God to promote life and death as a way of encouraging people to follow God’s commandments. In aIDition, based on the ancient doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican City enacted a law requiring the extermination of anyone with the intentions of gunning down the Pope (Hood & Hoyle, 2008). Accordingly, individuals who support such ancient laws are bound to make decisions that favor capital punishment.
Moreover, the Old Testament has various verses, which are in favor of the death penalty. Subsequently, a large number of individuals in influential positions in terms of enactment and implementation of rules regarding the death penalty may use such stipulations to justify their position or actions. This section of the Bible has numerous scenarios indicating such crimes as idolatry, murder, and blasphemy. The main punishment mode used in these settings is murder mainly by stoning. This justifies the death penalty. Similar to the Old Testament, some people still believe that people engaging in such crimes do not deserve to live in the community since it will only destroy its moral fiber.
In aIDition, the New Testament contains several verses, which insinuate that death is the most appropriate punishment for particular transgressions. For instance, Jesus Christ asserted that anyone who did not honor his or her father or mother ought to die. Individuals in the modern world may use this as a foundation of their philosophical argument in favor of the capital punishment. Some argue that dishonoring one’s parents is a mild wrongdoing. If such a transgression deserves death as the ultimate punishment, it is only rational that individuals engaging in serious crimes such as murder should undergo a more torturous extermination. Likewise, Pontius Pirate had to make a decision regarding the execution of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ indicated that God had offered Pontius Pilate the power to decide over the matter. This is an indication of God’s authorization of murder in certain scenarios.
Other religious perceptions used by people to make decisions in a law enforcement agency include the notion promoted by Islam regarding the influence of legal stipulations in the value of human life. The Quran believes in the significance of the human soul and discourages anyone from exterminating a person based on personal differences. Nonetheless, Muslims believe that the legal provisions are governing the undertakings that a region may surpass such religious requirements (Santoro, 2013). Based on this argument, it may be morally right to conduct capital punishment in circumstances, which justify the actions. Accordingly, judges may condemn a criminal based on the specifications of the death penalty law in the region. Nonetheless, the Sharia laws indicate that the victim of a serious crime, such as murder or rape, may forgive the wrongdoer, an aspect that equates to exonerating the individual from undergoing the ultimate punishment of death. Such exceptions may affect the judgment of an arbitrator in the judiciary setting.
Other religious convictions, such as BuIDhism, Hinduism, and Judaism, also have contradicting perceptions regarding this subject matter related to the dispensation of justice and unity in the community. For example, the Holy Scriptures governing the actions of adherents of BuIDhism indicate that every individual is afraid of death. For this reason, they forbid any person to kill his or her neighbor. Accordingly, judges and other personnel within a law enforcement bureau may base their decisions regarding a particular crime on this religious belief. Moreover, Judaism tends to favor the capital punishment under specific circumstances (Santoro, 2013). To start with, it focuses on avoiding the execution of an innocent person as opposed to condemning all incidences of murder. For instance, the presence of more than one credible witness may lead to the justification of the death penalty. In aIDition, the circumstances ought to illustrate that the criminal in question disregarded a warning about his or her undesirable behaviors before considering the capital punishment.
Based on the arguments highlighted in this dissertation, it is apparent that religious beliefs and principles may have a major influence on the decisions made by an individual in an occupational setting. Some of these crucial surroundings are the law enforcement departments. Judges and other personnel within these subdivisions may alter their decisions regarding the capital punishment in order to be in accordance with the religious values of a particular denomination. Nonetheless, most religious convictions have contradicting views on this matter.

References
Hood, R., & Hoyle, C. (2008). The death penalty: A worldwide perspective. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Santoro, A. R. (2013). Exile and embrace: Contemporary religious discourse on the death penalty in America.