Death Penalty

[GoodShepherd]

You cannot just take everything in Leviticus and directly apply it today. That was God's Law for the ancient Israelites, during a time where extreme discipline was required and they were being protected for a very specific purpose: to bring forth the Messiah, Jesus.

In fact, if you follow the Law, we must also "surely" put adulterers to death:


Sodomy is not worse than sleeping with your neighbor's wife and destroying their marriage. Do you know how many people we'd have to kill if we were to literally apply all these rules? We are no longer under the Law, and following it today is not necessarily going to lead to the best outcomes. Although the general principles apply, the most important thing is to bring forth repentance.

The homosexual stuff can easily be tackled by going after the propagandists. And having a zero tolerance approach to public homosexual behavior. Russia has taken a very important step forward by criminalizing gay propaganda to children. These people get kids while they are young, brainwash them, and make them grow up to be a slave of their passions.

Apparently in USA in the 1700's and 1800's in some areas adultery was a death penalty crime and they did carry out some executions

 

[KulturedKaveman]

Also as an aside, I think Belarus is the only country in the Orthodox world with the death penalty. I can count on one hand Catholic countries with the death penalty. The US is one. Death penalty in todays day and age seems largely a relic of authoritarian regimes and Islamic countries.

 

[RedLagoon]

Also as an aside, I think Belarus is the only country in the Orthodox world with the death penalty. I can count on one hand Catholic countries with the death penalty. The US is one. Death penalty in todays day and age seems largely a relic of authoritarian regimes and Islamic countries.

The US is a Catholic country?

 

[GodfatherPartTwo]

Some people here are mixing up the roles of the Church and the State. The Church should definitely work towards people's repentance and lead them to Grace. But the State has not only the right, but an obligation to execute laws that punish degenerate and society-destroying behavior. I suspect that some here are operating from a Sacralism mindset, which is why the responsibilities of one are being confused for the responsibilities of the other, and that's how it bore out historically.

 

[Samseau]

Also as an aside, I think Belarus is the only country in the Orthodox world with the death penalty. I can count on one hand Catholic countries with the death penalty. The US is one. Death penalty in todays day and age seems largely a relic of authoritarian regimes and Islamic countries.

The Byzantine Empire had death penalty, in my experience Catholics are more against the death penalty than Orthodox are. As to why "Catholic" countries are more supportive of the death penalty is more because Catholic countries aren't actually Catholic. Just Catholic in name only.

I am pro-death penalty btw, lots of good reasons why, however, it must be applied with extreme care.