In the year 1993 alone, over 18,000 people were arrested for murder in the United States. Yet, in the past twenty years, there have been less than 300 executions. Today there are over 2,500 murderers on "death row", but less than fifty of them will be executed this year. That's 15,000 to 20,000 murders per year with less than fifty executions! Although eighty percent of Americans still favor the death penalty, many are beginning to have second thoughts as the liberal establishment marches ahead with it's never-ending crusade against morality, freedom and justice. For the few Americans who still believe that God's opinion is more valuable than anything any news network or politician has ever said, we'd like to present the straight honest Biblical facts about murder and capital punishment. As you read the forthcoming words, please remain mindful of the fact that the words in bold type are not the words or interpretations of men, but they are rather the inspired words of Almighty God. You are expected (by God) to believe them. "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isa. 8:20) The Death Penalty Honors God The death penalty was first instituted by God Himself in Genesis 9:6: "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man." Man didn't invent the death penalty, so man has no right to abandon it. We live in an age when everyone is far too concerned with "human rights", and God has been practically ignored, as if He had no rights at all. God does have rights, and it is His right to do as He pleases with His own creation. Man is the highest form of life on this earth, created in God's own image, and crowned with glory and honor (Psa. 8:5). God has given man the MORAL DUTY to execute those who choose to take the lives of others. Exodus 21:12 says, "He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death." Do you wish to honor God? Then you must support the death penalty, because God commands it. Someone says, "Well, that's just the Old Testament law. The New Testament doesn't support the death penalty." I beg your pardon! Have you read Acts 25:11? Have you read Roman 13:1-4? What about Revelation 13:10? Friend, God has never changed His law of Capital Punishment for murderers! Revelation 13:10 says, "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints." If the death penalty is no longer in effect, then why is this verse even in the New Testament? In Acts 25:11 the apostle Paul says, "For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar." Paul admitted that some things were "worthy of death," and that he was willing to "die" if he was guilty of such an offense. If the death penalty is not for today, then why didn't Paul tell us? In the very next book, Paul reaffirms this truth. Notice very carefully Romans 13:1-4: "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil." Did you see that? Those in authority are ordained by God (just as in Genesis 9:6) to "execute" wrath upon evil doers. Paul said, "...he beareth not the sword in vain..." A sword is used for one thing: KILLING! Killers are to be killed, and God's will has not been fulfilled until our governing bodies have executed wrath upon those who have killed others. Let's take it a step further. Did you know that God has actually promised to BLESS us if we follow His plan of using the death penalty? Notice Deuteronomy 19:11-13: "But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities: Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die. Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee." Did you see that? He said, "...that it may go well with thee..." God WANTS things to go well with us! God WANTS to bless our nation, but He can't do it with killers running loose or with them sitting in prison receiving free meals, free housing, free clothing, a free education, and free legal counselling! That's insane! That's wicked! I cannot honestly ask God to bless America while we allow such wickedness to prevail. He will not do it! He cannot go against His own words. We must honor God and obey His word before we can expect His blessings. The Death Penalty Is A Deterrent to Crime A common argument is that statistics do not show that the death penalty deters crime when we compare death penalty states with non-death penalty states. Of course it doesn't! The states that HAVE the death penalty do not use it enough to show anything! Less than fifty executions out of 18,000 murders isn't going to accomplish much! I bet 18,000 executions would deter some crime! I bet the murder rate would fall quicker than the 1929 stock market! I personally think we need TELEVISED executions every night at 8:00 p.m. on national television. Forget the movie of the week. Let's just have about 50,000,000 Americans sit down every night and see some little children crying about their mother who was raped and murdered. Let's see some moms and dads mourning over their little girl who was molested and murdered by some wicked devil, and then let's see the rascal get what he deserves. I bet that would deter some crime! You say, "Man, you're crazy!" Am I? Did you ever read how God commanded the Israelites to execute people? It was a PUBLIC STONING? Is God crazy too? The Death Penalty Is Good for the Environment It seems that everywhere you turn these days some special interest group is whining about the environment. An actor out in Hollywood, back in the eighties, said we'd all be gone in ten years because we're destroying our environment. Everyone seems just terrified with all this talk about global warming, the ozone, the endangered species, the rain forests and the wet lands, but they're all in an uproar about NOTHING--absolutely nothing. If you know your Bible, then you know this old planet will survive for AT LEAST another 1007 years! So, let's all relax and concentrate on something that will REALLY help the environment. Let's get serious about Capital Punishment! How does the death penalty help the environment? God's word can answer that: "And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him. But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die; Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him." (Num. 35:16-21) "Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death." (Num. 35:30-31) Now, here comes the environmental part: "So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel." ( vs. 33-34) Did you see that? God said that the land is POLLUTED and DEFILED when killers go free. In God's word, environmental pollution is associated with SIN, not carbon monoxide and lead poisoning. The best way to clean up America is JUSTICE. Justice will teach people to respect the law once again and to fear God. If that happens, maybe more people will repent of their sins and receive Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Nothing could help our environment more. Friend, you just read what God's word has to say about the death penalty. If you don't support it, then right now is the time for you to start. You should get on your knees and ask God to forgive you for ignoring His word and being ignorant of His will concerning the death penalty. Then contact us and order about fifty of these tracts to give to your friends and family members. If you've never received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, then why not do so right now? Jesus said that salvation is a new birth, a spiritual birth from God (John 3:3). The salvation of your soul is entirely a spiritual matter. No amount of outward physical acts, such as church attendance, receiving sacraments, confession, or being baptized can save you. You MUST be born again. You must come to know the Lord Jesus Christ personally in your own heart. Friend, you need more than a religion: you need a relationship. John 1:12 tells us how this personal relationship with Jesus Christ is established: "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" Friend, you must RECEIVE Jesus Christ! He's the one who bled and died for your sins! He's the one who was buried, and then arose again after three days for your justification! Jesus Christ is the one who is currently seated at the right hand of God, waiting for you to repent of your sins (Luk. 13:3) and trust Him alone to save you. Acts 4:12 tells us, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." No church, no preacher, no priest, and no creed can save you. You can only be saved by the Lord Jesus Christ. Will you trust Him today? "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Rom. 10:13)