I'd like to hear some views on this.  Since I am bringing it up let me offer this for thought.

How do Christians justify the idea and morality of executing murders?
If we say it is ok because God laid it out in the bible, which I think most would say, then we are saying His civil law is still applicable today.
If we say it is ok, but not because God ordained it, but because the Government said so, is that not placing the Government over God?  And we still have the fact that the Government is still in agreement with Gods law, so that is really not an answer.
If we say it is OK because God ordained it, what do we say about the death penalty for adultery?
If we say that Jesus forgave the woman at the well, so He obviously has let it lapse, what about the fact that Saul murdered Christians and God didn't have him executed...that would be an identical case for the halt of the death penalty.  But most Christians say the death penalty is just.
To complicate, or maybe clear up the woman at the well analogy, in the civil law, there had to be two witnesses who brought charges, and that was not the case here, and it was the civil magistrate who passes down judgement.  Jesus was and is our high priest. Not the judge in mosaic law.  So one could now argue that those aren't as similar as they first looked.

No, I am not saying we should go and execute adulters, I am just bringing this up for discussion to see how we justify the execution of criminals.

Generally opposed to the State executing those who are no longer a threat to the public due to confinement.

That said, those executed are generally not innocent, so it's a lower priority to me than other social/societal issues

Regarding the woman at the well, another issue in that episode was that both adulterers were to be executed, not just the woman.  The accusers only brought forward the woman.

Thank you. I understand your reasoning I think.  You do not promote the death penalty, so you don't have to justify it.  If that is what you are saying, that is consistent.  There are many Christians however who do agree that we are justified in carrying out the death penalty.  So where is their moral or ethical basis for this?

I think it's normally wrong, but because those wronged are not generally innocent, it's lower on my "things to fix" priority list.

I like the RCC stance of "outside an immediate threat to society, no".

Plus I don't trust a state to not mess it up anyway.

If a man in self-defense uses more than
necessary violence, it will be unlawful: whereas if he repels force with
moderation, his defense will be lawful. . . .  Nor is it necessary for
salvation that a man omit the act of moderate self-defense to avoid
killing the other man, since one is bound to take more care of one's own
life than of another's.⁶⁶ </dd>
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