Reader Question: How Do "Pro-Life" Christian Nationalists View the Death Penalty?
If it's in the Bible, it's God's law (Scroll to the end to listen)
During last Sunday’s “Ask Me Anything,” a reader posed this question:
How do “pro-life” Christian Nationalists view the death penalty?
Christian Nationalists believe capital punishment (aka the death penalty) is required by Biblical law. They point to Genesis 9:6 KJV to justify this anti-life/pro-death position as a divine command.
Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God made he man.
Genesis 9:6 KJV
Since God ordered Christians to put murderers to death, they reason, it is appropriate to carry out executions of convicted murderers. Here’s a discussion from Focus on the Family espousing this view.
When society, through the agency of its courts, decides to execute an individual, it does so only in response to overwhelming evidence or a “burden of proof.” This evidence has to demonstrate “beyond a reasonable doubt” that the person in question is actually guilty of crimes defined by the law as punishable by death. The sentence, when it is carried out, is not simply an “act of violence” against the condemned. It’s a corporate expression of an entire culture’s unwillingness to tolerate the crimes in question.
Source: Focus on the Family (one of my Christian Nationalist go-to sites, but I’m not linking to them)
But what about forgiveness? Didn’t Jesus teach that we should turn the other cheek when we are wronged?
Here’s how Liberty University, a Project 2025 sponsor, threads that needle.
New Testament principles of love and forgiveness apply to Christians but not primarily to governments and authority. The Bible makes it clear throughout Romans 13 that government was established as “an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” With that biblical view of government, Christians can promote the death penalty as directed by God.
Source: The Liberty Champion, the student newsletter of Liberty University (also not linking to them)
As an aside, can anyone imagine living in the United States under a Christo-fascist government that styles itself as “an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer?”
Because that’s exactly the government we should imagine as we read and discuss Project 2025.
In even more appalling absolutely-pro-death news, some Christian Nationalists are calling for US laws to be drawn from the Old Testament.
THE PODCAST SETUP at first appears familiar: a pair of white dudes, mic’d up at a table, wrestling out loud with big ideas. But the conversation between the two men veers, without guardrails, into a dystopian vision of a Christian nationalist America, in which the laws of the Old Testament have been substituted for the constitution and the community is responsible for executions, including for people who cheat on their spouses.
Those executions, the men propose, should be done by stoning, the public act of hurling rocks at a condemned person until they are bludgeoned to death.
Source: Rolling Stone
It’s easy to dismiss the following as an exercise in hyperbole. But we have linked to an actual discussion between two well-connected Christian Nationalists advocating for stoning adulterers. It isn’t unreasonable to consider other extreme punishments these white men believe American society should support.
Crime and punishment, Old Testament Christian Nationalist style.
People can be stoned to death for worshiping false gods. (Deuteronomy 13:10) In a Christian Nationalist government, Allah = false god. Buddha = false god. Yahweh = false god. Atheism = false god.
Saying the words “Oh my God” or “goddammit” could lead to execution by stoning. (Leviticus 24: 11-23 Goddammit. I won’t last a day.)
False prophets are to be executed. (Deuteronomy 18: 20-22) Christian Nationalists define anyone who espouses anything contrary to their beliefs “false prophets” or “heretics.”
Those who break the Sabbath can be stoned to death. (Numbers 15: 32-36) Or in Christian Nationalist-speak, not going to church on Sunday could be cause for death by stoning. To them, Sunday = the Sabbath.
Instead of turning the other cheek as Jesus taught, Old Testament law requires an eye for an eye. (Leviticus 24:17-22) So if I cause another person to lose their hand, I should lose my hand as punishment.
The penalty for homosexuality is the death of both parties. (Leviticus 20:13)
Adulterers can be stoned to death. (Leviticus 20:10)
Fornication (sex outside of marriage) isn’t viewed as a private matter. The Old Testament teaches that fornication impacts an entire community, which is why Christian Nationalists love to point out “sexual immorality.” They have a right to be in our bedrooms, backseats, or wherever we choose to have sex because the Old Testament says they do. The penalty for fornication is death by stoning or burning at the stake. (Leviticus 20:10-16)
Rape is punishable by the rapist’s death. (Deuteronomy 22:25-27) Unless you’re a Christian Nationalist husband. Then your wife is required to service you whenever you demand it, whether she wants it or not.
The penalty for incest is death. (Leviticus 20:11)
Murderers are to be executed by sword. (Numbers 35:19)
Christian Nationalist Republicans have no right to claim to be pro-life. They are the party of death. I leave you with Chris Hume’s own fanatical words.
Asked to explain his biblical worldview, (Chris) Hume insisted: “The Bible not only offers a better path to a just society than our current American system does, but it offers the only path to a just society.”
Source: Rolling Stone
Let’s repeat the line from Liberty University’s student newspaper one more time:
“The Bible makes it clear throughout Romans 13 that government was established as ‘an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.’” Source: The Liberty Champion
Vote blue at every level of government in November, Americans. Vote blue like your lives depend on it. Because with people like this in charge, YOUR LIVES MEAN NOTHING.
“Judge not or so shall you be judged” - Jesus
These people ARE the false prophets. They ARE the false teachers we were warned about.
I died in 2008, saw Heaven and was sent back. The Only thing that passes through the Veil is Love. You carry Love with you.
Is the man in a woman’s life willing to lay down his life for her? That’s what Ephesians 5 taught. Paul said the man must treat her as his own body. The Christian Nationals misinterpret the Bible.
Jesus Christ “stood up” for women. He prevented the stoning of the woman caught in adultery.
These false teachers 🐍 are what the apostle Peter warned us about in 2 Peter 2.
I have already committed 10 of those violations today and it’s not even noon.