Moral Culpability of Executioners

[Jaypeeto4]

**I would also challenge your assertion that the despotic regimes you mention were “lawful” authority since the leadership in each case murdered its way to the top. How could they be “lawful”? **

I agree, but nobody, it seems, questions our American Republic.
Don’t get me wrong, I love our constitution and it’s guarantees of many freedoms,
but let’s look at this, as far as legality of Regimes goes.

Paul told the early Christians to obey the Roman Empire’s government in all things except those that disobeyed God. Yet the Roman Empire and it’s Caesars were as corrupt and despotic as could possibly be.

With that command of Paul in mind, didn’t the CHRISTIAN members of the continental Congress DISOBEY that command of Paul (and hence of God) when they decided to launch a rebellion and violent revolution against the government of King George or whoever else might have been ruling “The Colonies” at the time? Yes, the English government of the Colonies was very oppressive, but so was Rome, and Christians were NEVER AUTHORIZED by the Apostles to participate in Revolts/Revolutions.

Our government is, right or wrong, our “De Facto” political authority.
Those living in Germany during the Hitler years were living under the “De Facto” authority there, and HAD TO OBEY ORDERS or be executed themselves. Yet that didn’t excuse them when it came to the Nuremberg and other post-war trials.
“I was just doing my job” will not always get one off the hook.

If I were an executioner (and good Lord, who would WILLINGLY apply for a job like THAT??), and I heard that legitimate doubts had been raised as to the actual guilt of a convicted murderer, I don’t know that I could bring myself to perform the lethal injection.
And if the person IS actually innocent, because a prosecutor (to win the case and another feather in his career cap, and some do do this) suppressed evidence of the accused killer’s innocence, then God help him/her and anyone else involved if the execution takes place, but the especial and subjective guilt would fall upon the person who knew the accused to be innocent of murder, and suppressed the evidence.

 

[Jaypeeto4]

**Read the 13th chapter of Romans. Judges, juries, and executioners are actually ministers of God to carry out His wrath on evil-doers. There is no moral culpability, provided they make dang sure that the person whom they are condemning is actually guilty. **

You are right and Paul did teach this.
However, all people are evil-doers to some degree or another. Some very little, some somewhat, and some a great deal.
Many things which God’s Word calls explicitly for the death penalty for,
are perfectly legal in this (and other countries). Many repentant Catholics and other repentant Christians have committed these very things and repented of them and are Christians in good standing, both in the Church and in the Community (civil), because these various acts of grave wickedness are not punished by our civil authorities.
I am not at all demeaning Paul’s teaching, nor questioning God’s righteousness (for HE is ALWAYS right), but it seems that, for a great many wicked deeds, God is not carrying out his (temporal) wrath on the evil-doers at all, and not inspiring his political “ministers” to do so, either, which ministers are in fact enacting laws protecting such death-penalty offenses as actual human “Rights.”
So, on the one hand, it is absolutely True that God stands for Law and Order and Justice.
And magistrates have authority to punish wickedness with appropriate punishments (contrary to the views of some, they are NOT free to enact any form of punishment they please, for THEY TOO are subject to both the Natural Law and Divine Law and are not permitted to be merciless. Putting a 16 year old kid who bought drugs into a prison with hardened violent killers, for example, is a diabolical punishment, which does happen quite often, and I believe those who inflict it are in big trouble with the almighty).
But this is the Gospel Age, and we in the Church are not supposed to just use Paul’s teaching on the lawful authority of magistrates as an excuse to throw sinners away without trying to save them, because THEIR sin got them put behind bars. All people are sinners to some degree or another (except Jesus, Mary, John the Baptist, and possibly Saint Joseph). So let’s all pray for each other that we won’t fall into more-serious sins, and for those who HAVE, that God will grant them mercy and repentance. And we should NEVER wish more punishment on another mortal sinner, than we would want to endure ourselves for OUR forgiven mortal sins.
In personal conversations and on the internet, etc.,
I have heard repentant, forgiven former wanton adulterers (death penalty offense, you know), get all hot under the collar and call for “welfare queens” who steal a few hundred bucks to be put away for decades. These folks consider themselves law-abiding citizens. They forget that, under the Law of God (which was perfect as law could be), the welfare queen would only be forced to pay back what she stole with interest, while they, the one-time adulterers, would have been stoned to death for their deeds.
Society needs to be re-evangelized at ALL LEVELS with the Gospel,
so that Justice will be tempered with mercy, and so that citizens can be brought to virtuous living by repentance, the blood of Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit through forgiveness and grace.
And I agree with the good gentleman who posted the fervent prayer that all the murders occuring every day WOULD STOP. God bless him for posting that.
Love to all,
Jaypeeto4