Death Penalty News

MOORE, Okla. — A Tea Party candidate running for Oklahoma ’s state House who wants to apply biblical principles to Oklahoma law is under fire for advocating that gays should be stoned to death because ‘it came directly from God.” Scott Esk, who is running for House District 91 state representative , made the remarks on Facebook last year in comments regarding Pope Francis ’ now famous quote “Who am I to judge?” in referencing gays who who hold strong religious beliefs. Esk posted old testament scriptures from Romans and Leviticus that referred to homosexuality being punished, reports KFOR-TV . One person on Facebook on responded, “So just to be clear, you think we should execute homosexuals (presumably by stoning)?” Esk responded , “I think we would be totally in the right to do it. That goes against some parts of libertarianism, I realize, and I’m largely libertarian, but ignoring as a nation things that are worthy of death is very remiss.” Click here to read the full article ...

We lifelong conservatives and Tea Party supporters recently urged the death sentence for Teresa Lewis in Virginia be commuted to life in prison without parole instead. We are among a growing number of conservatives who have questions and reservations about the death penalty, believe it is no longer a necessary form of punishment based on either Lockean or biblical principles, or oppose it outright. Around the country death sentences are dropping, and support for the death penalty is waning. This trend is not limited to bleeding-heart liberals and criminal coddlers. We urge our fellow conservatives to at least consider some issues when contemplating the death penalty. The Old Testament required the death penalty for certain sins and a litany of offenses. In John 8 of the New Testament, the Pharisees confronted Jesus about a woman ready to be stoned for adultery. Jesus, sensing a trap they laid on a conflict between the Old Testament and Roman law, said: Let him who is...