THE EDITOR, Sir:

'Bring back hanging'. You may recall me stating that in the 2007 Christmas Eve Letter of the Day 'Setting the stage for a Forever Christmas' (Gleaner, December 24, 2007). Although, despite the mention of "decapitation homi-cides", capital punishment was not my primary focus, yet it has returned as the subject of a conscience vote in Parliament which your columnist Peter Espeut, in his 'Reason, not outrage', describes as "a serious matter, requiring sound judgement and a cool head" (Friday, November 14).

"Don't play politics with life," he writes, "It is your duty to act out of acumen and astuteness, not outrage or panic! And, please, do not try and justify the death penalty by quoting scripture. The devil can do a better job of that."

Very ironic

Despite Mr Espeut's scripture prohibition, I would buttress the cogent arguments in Bible Backs Hanging by Paul Thorbourne on page A10 of The Sunday Gleaner, July 25, 1999, with that of Gregory Koukl at the Stand To Reason website (www.str.org) in the article 'The Bible and Capital Punishment', et al.

One of the ironies in all this, is that an old Iron power (Daniel 2) welded to geo-religious politics could employ the sword in executing heretics, but now some wish to stand in the way of justice in the pre-Mosaic declaration of Genesis 9:6 because they are flying on one wing of mercy in the wrong sphere similar to Ezekiel 13:19, where God sees evil, lying powers " ... killing people who should not die, and keeping people alive who should not live ... " (NKJV.)

Provisions made

When the killers are sawing the throats of little children whom they rape, they don't remember "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy". So, God provided Romans 13:1-7 cf Revelation 13:10, part of which states: "Therefore, you must be subject, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience's sake ... he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword" (NKJV).

There is a diversity of opinions on the death penalty within the Adventist Church, but as for me and my house, I think the separation of Church and State needs to be maintained as much as the death penalty law needs to be retained on the books and enforced. This despite the eventual use of it by the dragon to persecute Sabbath-keeping Christians as "Adventists believe, on the basis of biblical predictions, that just prior to the second coming of Christ, the Earth will experience a period of unprecedented turmoil, with the seventh-day Sabbath as a focal point." (adventist.org).

Draw the line

The Church cannot cast any stones because of what is written in the sand. But it's a different matter when murderers play with the State; it would have been better for them not to have been born (still pro-life with exceptions on abortion though).

I seek no dispute with Mr Espeut but, like Catholic author G.K. Chesterton, I concur that "Art, like morality, consists in drawing the line somewhere." The State is not here to powder murderers!

I am, etc.,

RYAN O'NEIL SEATON

Kingston 11

Revelation1217@yahoo.com