November 4, 1646 was an important day in history. The Massachusetts Bay Colony passed a law making it a capital punishment to deny the origins of the Bible. The death penalty was enacted as a punishment for denying Biblical inspiration.
In fact Massachusetts was the first states to carry out the death penalty in colonial times. However over the years, the approach has changed. In the early times, hanging was the main method of execution. Some defendants in the 1600s were executed for religious affiliations.
Mary Dyer was one of the people who was executed for affiliating with the Quaker religion. In the 1900s, Massachusetts installed an electric chair to be used in death penalty cases.
Massachusetts has a long-spanning history when it comes to death sentences. John Billington was the first person executed in Massachusetts in 1630 for the killing of John Newcomen.
However as of today there is no death penalty in Massachusetts the the practise was abolished in 1984 after it was ruled to be unconstitutional. Since then state governors including Mitt Romney have tried to reinstate death penalty, but attempts thus far have not found success.
In the year 182 the Commonwealth passed an amendment that allowed the death penalty. Under this new amendment, the state Ould not be construed as prohibiting the imposition of the punishment of death. Later in the same year, the legislature passed a bill reinstating the death penalty for first degree murder.
In the Commonwealth vs Colon Cruz case in 1984, the Massachusetts law that enabled capital punishment was ruled to be unconstitutional. The same was passed on the ground that it was not applied fairly, since only defendants who went to trial were edible, this excluded defendants who pleaded guilty.
Until 1951, any first degree murder conviction required the death penalty. This changed to provide the jury discretion on most murder cases. However the death sentence was still mandated in murders that involved rape or attempted rape. In all there have been 345 executions in Massachusetts, including 26 for witchcraft.
What the Bible says on death sentences
While today there are arguments on whether or not to continue with the practise of capital punishment, the fact is that the Bible does prescribe the same. Capital punishment in the Bible. In the Bible Leviticus 24:10-16 states that blasphemy is punishable by death.
Joshua 7:20-26 states that stealing is punishable by death. Preaching a different religion is also punishable by death according to the Bible. Kings 21:1-16 states that cursing God and the king is punishable by death.
Most commonly in the Bible, it is mentioned that stoning is a method of execution, followed by burning and then by sword. The Bible also says that the body should be buried the same day and not left up overnight, as an impaled hung body is offensive to God.
The Biblical jurisprudence was based on the assumption that a man is under obligation to cary out the revealed will of God in leading a holy life, respecting the rights of God and man. This obligation was regarded as absolute and beyond authority of man to amend to any general standard prevailing in the current society. Even in the Mosaic legislation, it was made clear that such basic principles such as capital punishment were not subject to modification or abolition.
According to the Biblical texts, Christian theology condemns blasphemy. It states, ‘ thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in Vain.’ One of the Ten Commandments forbids blasphemy, which Christians regard as an affront to God’s holiness.
Going by these writings, it is clear that blasphemy is a major offence in Christianity as is in the case of Islam as well. Hinduism on the other hand does not have this concept and hence does not prescribe any punishment for it. India however has a law that prohibits blasphemy against all regions under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code. This law punishes anyone who intentionally and maliciously insults or attempts to insult a religion or its beliefs.
While India continues to remain among the numerous countries that practises capital punishment, there have been several changes to the law. The repeal of Section 303 of the Indian Penal Code which prescribed death penalty was the first major change. The Supreme Court of India while repealing Section 303 said that death sentences could be imposed under Section 302 only in the rarest of rare cases. In a nutshell, India follows the system that life sentence is a rule and death an exception.
Bible vs Quran vs Gita
There are different takes on death sentences prescribed in the Bible, Quran and the Bhagwad Gita.
the Bible suggests that capital punishment is mandated by scripture. Genesis 9:6 says that those who kill another person should be killed and this mandate was given to all who survived the flood.
The Quran says that the punishment for those who wage a war against Allah and his Messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief though the land is execution or crucification, or cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land. However an exception is made for those who return repenting before they are apprehended. In Islam, blasphemy laws vary by jurisdiction. It could include the death penalty, fines and loss of legal rights.
The Bhagwad Gita on the other hand views death as a natural and inevitable part of life. It is viewed as a tradition of the soul from one body to another.
Hinduism does not have any official stance on death sentences. It is influenced by several factors such as Ahmisa, Karma and the soul. Hinduism opposes killing, violence and revenge. It is in line with the principle of non-violence or Ahimsa. Hinduism follows the principle of Karma and states that the reason for punishing wrong doers is to correct them and ensure that they do not repeat their wrong doings.
