Tiffany Huet Class of 2008 Justifying Violence: A ... - Stetson University

capital crimes. 41 Thus, he argues for the protection of innocent life and the sanctioned destruction
of guilty life, or capital punishment.
One of Bray’s primary biblical reference points for supporting capital punishment is in
the Gospel of John. His goal with this story is to demonstrate how Christians typically
misinterpret it to suggest a nonviolent Christian life. He discusses the story of the woman who is
protected and forgiven by Jesus after being accused of adultery (John 8:1-11). Since modern
critical editions of Scripture note that this passage is not present in the most ancient manuscripts,
Bray claims that it cannot be used as a basis for any doctrine. In contrast to the documents and
events he uses above, it is in the canon and he admits that it is believed by scholars to have been
a historical event. Since he views himself as a literalist, he must address the questions about why
Jesus, if non-pacifistic, does not condemn and kill the woman. Jesus recognized that the
woman’s accusers were attempting to trap him, but he also knew that the law required that there
be two witnesses present for judgment. Thus, when Jesus asks for the one who has sinned to cast
the first stone, Bray claims Jesus was actually looking for a witness to testify to the woman’s
guilt. He was not “introducing a new system of justice.” 42
Capital punishment, he says, “signals the role of the Author of life in human affairs and
government.” God has placed authorities in power in order to fulfill God’s bidding, which
includes capital punishment: “He…ordained godly government with the authority to take life,
liberty, and property.” 43 Bray continues his explanation by demonstrating that the idea of humans
being created in the image of God does not suggest that a human’s life is inviolable, meaning
41 Bray, 24.
42 Bray, 25.
43 Bray, 27.
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