Does the Bible condone capital punishment? Is it moral? These questions are part of an ethical quagmire that has been debated in Christian circles for eons, with the debate kicking up a few notches in recent years.
And it’s a subject that “Pure Talk” hosts Kirsten Haglund, Dan Andros, Billy Hallowell and Greg Gudorf dove into during Thursday night’s episode of the faith-themed talk show, with the hosts expressing diverse views on the matter.
“I, for one, have always felt uncomfortable with the death penalty,” Haglund, host of “The Sonder” podcast, said, going on to decry a flawed justice system. “It’s God’s right to give life and to take life.”
And Gudorf, CEO of Pure Flix digital, agreed, saying that he believes there’s some credence to the argument that pro-life people should oppose the death penalty.
“It’s got some merit,” he said. “If it’s God’s [right] to take a life … how are we to judge in there?
Gudorf continued, “It comes down to the sanctity of life. Period.”
Andros, managing editor of Faithwire, countered, though, that he doesn’t believe the “Bible is against it,” with Hallowell, senior writer at Faithwire, questioning whether Haglund and Gudorf might feel differently about situations in which criminals have committed grisly crimes, such as the case of Osama bin Laden.
Watch the death penalty episode of “Pure Talk” and see how they responded below: