In December 2024, Luigi Mangione was arrested in connection with the murder of health insurance executive Brian Thompson.
While the murder was caught on security footage, which revealed that Thompson was shot in cold blood, Mangione quickly became a cult hero among some—a Robin Hood figure who took justice into his own hands against corporate greed and corruption.
Given the high-profile nature of the case, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi‘s instruction to federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Mangione became a national headline. While some criticized Bondi, along with President Trump who appointed her, others lauded her for her toughness on crime.
Among those praising Bondi was Southern Baptist preacher Robert Jeffress. Jeffress, who pastors the historic and influential First Baptist Church in Dallas, went as far as to say that capital punishment is “biblical.”
Said Jeffress, “When Noah and his family emerged from the ark after the flood and restarted civilization, the very first command God gave them was this: ‘Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed as well.’”
“In other words, God was saying [that] human life is so precious, so important, that anyone who dares take that human life ought to pay the ultimate price,” Jeffress continued.
“In the New Testament, Romans 13, Paul says, ‘Government is established by God. It does not bear the sword for nothing, but it’s an avenger who brings wrath upon those who practice evil,’” Jeffress argued. “Capital punishment does not contradict the sanctity of human life. It actually affirms the preciousness of human life. And thankfully we have an attorney general and a president who understand that.”
Jeffress went on to argue that capital punishment is also pragmatic, saying, “When you execute somebody, you’re removing from planet earth one more criminal who kills people. Our country, our world is safer whenever we get rid of murderers.”
To the ears of Southern Baptists—and most American evangelicals for that matter—Jeffress’ words are anything but controversial. Even still, I have grown increasingly uncomfortable with my theological tribe’s full-throated endorsement of lethal force.
To be sure, while American evangelicals are known for their commitment to gun rights and their strong support for the military, they are also known as being avidly pro-life. To me, this collection of values seems to be somewhat at odds with itself.
Nevertheless, I was once told that in order to be truly pro-life, I must be pro-death penalty. The irony of that statement struck me immediately.
In order to be pro-life, I must be pro-death? Can we really say that with a straight face?
I understand that I’m oversimplifying the issue here. I also understand that a not insignificant number of Jesus-loving, Bible-believing, wise, and discerning Christians are in favor of capital punishment—and that their stance is rooted in their faithful reading of Scripture.
I’m just not sure that a pro-capital punishment reading of Scripture is the only faithful reading—or even the most faithful reading.
In recent years, I have become increasingly suspicious of the idea that capital punishment is reflective of the type of justice Jesus would have us pursue. I base this suspicion in practical concerns regarding the implementation of capital punishment in the United States, the trajectory within Scripture on the issue of violence, as well as the testimony of the early church.
Let’s start with my practical concerns.
Procedural Reasons To End Capital Punishment
The procedural injustices with how capital punishment is administered have long been established. For example, significant racial disparity exists among those who are executed. As of 2019, Black and Hispanic people represent 31% of the U.S. population but 53% of death row inmates. In 2016, the death row population was over 41% Black, even though Black people made up about 13% of the U.S. population.
Researchers and historians have also noted that a historic rise in state-sanctioned executions coincided with the delegitimization of public lynchings, which were inherently racialized.
Other research indicates that convicts with less education and/or who come from lower economic classes are more likely to receive the death penalty relative to others accused of similar crimes.
