Bishop Jonathan Gledhill: Saddam Hussein Execution 'Not Unjust'
The Bishop of Lichfield has reacted to the execution of Saddam Hussein by saying that it "cannot be called unjust" if he had a fair trial and proper opportunity to appeal.
by Christian Today
Posted: Tuesday, January 2, 2007, 9:59 (GMT)
The Bishop of Lichfield has reacted to the execution of Saddam Hussein by saying that it "cannot be called unjust" if he had a fair trial and proper opportunity to appeal.
The Rt Rev Jonathan Gledhill said: "Anyone who deliberately murders another human being immediately forfeits his or her own right to life. If Saddam Hussein had a fair trial and proper opportunity to appeal, his execution cannot be called unjust.
"Of course we have good reason to be against the death penalty. Human justice cannot be absolutely sure, we never know for certain what is going on inside a criminal, and verdicts have to balance probabilities. For these reasons alone it is unsafe to have the death penalty.
"Nevertheless for many criminals death is in fact a greater mercy than life-long imprisonment. It would also be wrong to encourage Iraqi democracy on the one hand and to interfere with their government and legal system on the other.
"If the international community is satisfied that due process has been observed we should hold our peace and pray that order will emerge out of chaos for Iraq and for the rest of the Middle East so that, in more stable times, they will be able to have their own discussion about the rights and wrongs of the death penalty.
"In the meantime the very fact that we believe in life (and judgment) after death will give Christians pause for thought about ourselves, about our own leaders and our responsibility in voting them into office."
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The comments below are readers' personal opinions and are in no way intended to reflect the editorial opinion of Christian Today.
Added: Wednesday, January 3, 2007, 20:52 (GMT)
Lionel's arguments make a poor use of Scripture, pitting the Old(er) Testament against the new. He commits the tired Marcionite heresy of divorcing Jesus from the Hebrew Bible. Jesus himself said that the Hebrew Scriptures spoke of him (cf. John 5:39 & Luke 25:27; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). And early Christian moral teaching presented itself as a direct extension of the Hebrew moral law (James 2:8). Romans 13:1-5 commands Christians to submit to the magistrate expressly because civil government is charged with wielding the sword against evil doers. Unless Lionel is to argue for an expressly Christian government (the dreaded "theocracy"), he should give some more thought to how Christians are to live in a non-Christian world.
Chris Larimer, Louisville, KY (USA)
Added: Wednesday, January 3, 2007, 9:40 (GMT)
How can the Bishop of Lichfield say that the hanging of Saddam Hussein was not unjust?The killing of a human being,no matter how wretched,is wrong.End of story.It is up to God and God alone to give and take life-not us mere mortals!If we cannot rely upon Church leaders to help in the fight to abolish the barbaric practice of execution,who can we look to?It is a very sorry state of affairs when a leading Christian figure cannot demonstrate the forgiveness that Christ teaches us in the New Testament.
Claire Wilcox, Portsmouth,UK
Added: Tuesday, January 2, 2007, 22:49 (GMT)
This is the way Christians talk? I wonder how God would have truly felt in reference to the invasion and hanging?
Karin Govoni, Glastonbury, CT USA
Added: Tuesday, January 2, 2007, 16:01 (GMT)
I would love to sit down with this brother in Christ and find out what version of Gods Word he is reading. The notion of an eye for an eye is old testament, a new covenant was entered into where Christ called for us who a) were without sin to cast the first stone, and b) it would seem that the Bishop is of the opinion that innocents have not been imprisoned and worse, murdered by the very forces of Law that claim to protect us even in this our own so called civilised country.
Those guilty of crimes are indeed liable for their just punishments, none would doubt or argue with that, but is the death penalty the way for a man representing the love of God and the God of Love to be holding up a thumb and voice of approval.
Let your Yes be Yes and Your No be No.
Don't let it be, ehm.... well....I'm not....it's their......get a life bro!
Stand up, Stand up for Jesus. not your perception of your popularity rating.
Lionel Morley, Lockerbie, Scotland.
