Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that there has long been a close connection between religious belief and a belief in capital punishment, just as there is some relationship between religious beliefs and opposition to capital punishment. This paper considers the role of religion in shaping attitudes toward capital punishment and policies adopted for capital punishment, noting first that different religious denominations take a different attitude toward the subject.

From the Paper
"Different religious denominations take a different attitude toward the subject so that followers take their cues from that denomination, such as the current divide seen in America between many evangelical Protestant churches that support capital punishment and the Catholic Church that does not. At a deeper level, support often hinges on the degree of reliance on the Bible as an unerring source, with those supporting capital punishment finding a direct admonition for capital punishment in scripture."

Tags:religion, capital, punishment

Abstract
This paper explains that the United States and Japan are the only highly advanced industrialized countries that have retained capital punishment. The author points out that Japan has a death penalty but uses it sparingly, executing two or three prisoners a year; many Japanese psychologists agree that the death penalty provides a psychic release from the pressure and degradation of conformity, repression and overwork and is an effective tool for instilling fear in police interrogations. The paper relates that the death penalty in these countries is approached differently: The United States, through its constitutional rights, has facilitated a plethora of information to support or abolish the death penalty; whereas, Japan offers minimal information about this issue to the general public.

Table of Contents
Japan: The Death Penalty
Abolitionists of the Death Penalty
United States: Capital Punishment

From the Paper
"As previously mentioned, Japan does support capital punishment. "The Japanese Penal Code lists 13 crimes that identify the death penalty as an appropriate sanction, and an additional five are sited in other statues." The Prime Minister's Office reported that a survey has revealed that almost 80 percent of people polled nationwide, up from 74 percent in 1994, expressed approval for Japan's continuation of the use of capital punishment. The figure is an all-time high among six such polls conducted since 1956. Results of the poll, which were conducted after a five-year lapse and covered 5,000 men and women aged 20 years or older, also showed that support for scrapping the death penalty has dipped to a mere 8 percent. This is the first time the figure has fallen below the 10 percent mark."

Tags:industrialized, religion, conformity, interrogations, code

Abstract
This paper examines the issues surrounding capital punishment, arguing many dimensions of the debate. It describes the concept of capital punishment as a death penalty to the persons found guilty of committing a crime, most often a homicidal crime. The paper raises many important questions with respect to the moral, religious and practical perspectives.

From the Paper
"Majority of the people believe that the judiciary system should not grant any mercy to the criminals or grant justice to them, once they are proved guilty of committing crime. The punishment being awarded to the guilty usually differs from state to state, according to the laws of the state but in most of the states the homicidal criminal is sentenced to death. However, many people believe that awarding a death sentence should not be considered as an option to punish the homicidal criminals."

Tags:community, policing, judiciary, system, criminal, justice, state, law, legal, homicidal, death, sentence, god, religion

Abstract
The paper examines the role of religion in shaping attitudes toward capital punishment. It looks at how different religious denominations take a different attitude toward the subject so that followers take their cues from that denomination, such as the current divide seen in America between many evangelical Protestant churches that support capital punishment and the Catholic Church that does not. It also discusses how, at a deeper level, support often hinges on the degree of reliance on the Bible as an unerring source, with those supporting capital punishment finding a direct admonition for capital punishment in scripture.

From the Paper
"Robert L. Young more specifically looks at the way religious orientation and race produce certain levels of support for the death penalty. The researchers look at the 1988 General Social Survey showing that fundamentalism, evangelism, and devotionalism have significant by very different roles in shaping attitudes toward capital punishment. Young notes first that religion should have a role because religion deals at its most basic level with issues of life and death, including the question of the role of the state in taking a life. "

Tags:scripture, church, bible, death

Abstract
This six-page undergraduate paper discusses the issue of capital punishment with reference to religious beliefs and teachings. While most religions of the world support death penalty under some conditions and in some particular cases, there is still a large majority which feels that sentencing someone to death is not an effective deterrent and thus some other form of punishment should be suggested.

Abstract
The paper provides a brief examination of the history of the death penalty in the United States and then offers an analysis of the states that practice this punishment, with statistics concerning the rate of execution, race, sex and other details. Taking these facts into consideration, the paper considers the use of the death penalty, support and opposition for this, and the religious, political and ethical motivations for supporting the death penalty. The paper concludes with a summary of the main arguments for the death penalty that involve the issues of religion, morality, deterrence and justice.

Outline:
Introduction
A History of the Death Penalty in the United States
States Who Have the Death Penalty, States who Don't
Results So Far
Application of the Death Penalty
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Capital Punishment is one of the most controversial areas of modern American society. Opponents and supporters of the death penalty are both very passionate about the subject; accusations of racism and cruelty from one side are met with accusations of bleeding hearts and lack of concern for the victims of crime. However, this debate mostly occurs over the heads of ordinary Americans, who in poll after poll, reveal that they support the death penalty for those convicted of a capital crime. (Clark Prosecutor, Opinion Polls, 2006). The question of legality, morality, and cruelty still dogs the application of the death sentence to this day. In previous centuries, capital punishment was the norm in all countries, and certain acts which would not be punishable now were capital: the witch trials in Northern Europe, for example, resulted in the executions of many women, mostly by hanging."

Tags:religion, deterrence, justice, racism, cruelty, death, row

Abstract
This paper studies the influence religion has over critical justice issues, such as capital punishment, because of the importance religion holds in the development of social values systems. The author discusses the Buddhist and Catholic faith and their opposition to capital punishment and also the Judaic, Islamic and Protestant beliefs that offenses can be punished by death. The paper also looks at the impact these beliefs have on politics.

Outline:
Buddhism and Catholicism: A Straightforward approach
Judaism, Islam and Protestantism: A tricky question
Conclusion

From the Paper
"This practice is often employed in Muslim nations. In fact, despite the fact that Islam does sanction the death penalty in some instances, there are wide differences in how it is used by Muslim nations. Some nations with large Muslim populations, such as Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, have abolished the death penalty, while other Islamic nations, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran and Algeria, use the practice more liberally. In short, while the Koran clearly permits capital punishment, it leaves open for some degree of interpretation how aggressively it should be applied -- and the interpretation has differed among nations."

Tags:judicial systems, capital punishment

Abstract
This paper looks at the arguments put forth by those who favor and those who oppose the death penalty, with particular focus on how religious arguments view capital punishment. The paper argues that, while the First Amendment was designed to keep the functions of the state independent from those of the church, religion and government often overlap when considering issues governing the welfare of mankind and that this is particularly true with regard to the death penalty.

From the Paper
"The First Amendment to the US Constitution, which states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion," has come to be taken as the constitutional separation of the church and state. Although a deeper analysis may show that no such distinct separation was intended by the phrase, it should be understood to mean that the federal government was prohibited from establishing a religion to which the states must pay homage. Religious affairs were to be separate from state affairs."

Tags:fifth, commandment, kill, sin, divine, law, convicted, murderers, racist, condemns, innocent

Abstract
This paper describes the influences of Western Christianity on the everyday life of the American people, ranging from abortion issues to capital punishment. It argues that our everyday lives are influenced by Christian morals and judgements.

From the Paper
"There are some instances where the Supreme Court has stepped in to reassure fairness to all denominations. When countless issues come to the highest court in the land time after time it echoes one principal: that we the people continue to pass laws that are unequal and unfair to other religions. Will our society ever stop backing Christianity in politics, probably not. Christianity is a big part of our culture and we will continue to reflect that in public matters."

Tags:evolution, secularization, Supreme, Court, morality, marriage

Abstract
This paper examines the scientific and statistical validity of a series of studies that present statistical information on some aspect of the death penalty. It examines methods for excluding jurors in death penalty cases, connections between the death penalty and homicide rates, the link between religion, race and support for the death penalty and links between crime rate increases and the death penalty. The paper discusses the statistical strengths and weaknesses that affect the validity of the studies.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Neises & Dilehay: "Death Qualification and Conviction Proneness"
Baumer, Messner & Rosenfeld: "Explaining Spatial Variation in Support for Capital Punishment"
Young: "Religious Orientation, Race and Support for the Death Penalty"
Rankin: "Changing Attitudes Toward Capital Punishment"

From the Paper
"Despite that honesty, there are further issues that Rankin fails to point out. For instance, the data gathered by the NORC was gathered over a period of four years. While this might seem like a lengthy period, it may not be long enough to identify large-scale social trends of the kind that this study hopes to identify. Additionally, Rankin puts a significant emphasis on who respondents voted for in presidential elections as a means of gauging their political party, political views, and general lifestyle concerns. Unfortunately, this may not be the best indicator of any of those factors. These concerns limit the effectiveness of this research."

Tags:capital, punishment, execution, conviction, homicide, race