Those opposed to the death penalty are sometimes seen waving placards stating: “Thou shalt not kill.” They reason that: “If it is against the 10 Commandments, then who is the government that they should be putting people to death?”As sincere as most of these good people are, they are misrepresenting the Sixth Commandment.Modern translations have cleared up some of the confusion by translating the command as “You shall not murder.” It does not prohibit capital punishment. In fact, God bestows the responsibility of Law and Order upon governments, including the Death Penalty: “For it does not bear the sword for nothing” writes Paul (Rom.13:4). In general terms, the commandment is prohibiting the wilful taking of the life of a man by another man. With abortion, and now euthanasia, being legal in New Zealand, even some Christians struggle to see the taking of these lives as being murder.Having personally witnessed health professionals administer lethal doses of morphine, and watched as patients were left to starve to death in hospital, I was not surprised that Law Makers showed no remorse when removing the illegality of euthanasia from the Law Books. The majority gained in the recent referendum was apparently enough to excuse them from the guilt of getting their heart’s desire.Strong arguments have been made for Pacifism. Equally strong counterarguments have been made to suggest that belief in Pacifism is a luxury reserved for those not yet under attack. Again, a government is responsible for the safety and security of its citizens, and we as citizens have a duty to obey (Rom.13:1ff)—but not if their laws contravene the Law of God (Acts 5:29).John StaigerIf you have been blessed by this message, please feel free to: Like, Comment or Share it with your friends. (329)
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