How Should Christians View The Death Penalty?

We must look within ourselves for the answer.

At one point in my life I was very troubled about whether or not a soldier, in time of war, was guilty of "murder" when an enemy soldier was killed in battle. At that particular time I could not make a sound decision in my own mind as to whether this action was actually a "sin". It was not until after I had contacted three ministers of three different religious beliefs that I finally found my own peace on this issue.

I was immediately reminded about the parting of the Red Sea, David and Goliath, Cain and Abel and many other accounts of "murder or killing" mentioned in the Bible and how the circumstances surrounding each of these events were totally different. Some acts of murder were committed out of anger and revenge, while others were necessary to protect a nation or for self-preservation.