EDITOR, The Tribune.

The Tribune published an article regarding Reverend Harry Bain’s remarks on the death penalty at Christ Church Cathedral last week. According to the article, Rev Bain is quoted as stating that he does not support capital punishment because it is contrary to the New Testament.

I find it deeply troubling that a leading man of the cloth would lend his voice to the anti-capital punishment camp in the midst of a bloodbath. Bain is an Anglican. As a high ranking clergyman within the Anglican Church, Bain should be familiar with the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion. This document presents the beliefs and practices of the Anglican Church. It was published in the 16th century. Based on my layman’s interpretation of Article 17, it would appear that the Anglican statements of faith is Calvinistic. This would then mean that the church leans towards the theological system of John Calvin, who was pro-capital punishment. In fact, Article 37 of the Thirty-Nine Articles affirms the death penalty, by stating that the “laws of the Realm (of England) may punish Christian men with death, for heinous and grievous offences”. The founder of the Church of England, King Henry VIII, executed over 57,000 rebels, including two of his wives. It was King Henry who brought the Reformation of Martin Luther to England. Luther, by the way, was also pro-death penalty.

Why am I stating all this church history? Because I want the readership to see that Bain’s views on the death penalty do not align with the Anglican Church’s past history. Furthermore, a cursory reading of the New Testament Book of Romans 13 would show that Bain’s views on capital punishment are not derived from sound hermeneutics.

In verse four of that chapter, saint Paul said that rulers bear not the sword in vain. I find it interesting that Bain chose to mention the New Testament instead of the Old. Bain knows that under Israel’s theocratic system of government, murderers, rapists, idolators, sabbath breakers and those who defame the name of Yahweh were put to death. That is why death penalty opponents hate to mention the Old Testament in their arguments. The Tribune article did not state any particular Bible verse or chapter in support of Bain’s views on the subject. Most anti-capitalist punishment advocates love to quote Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5 through 7 and Luke 6.

Whatever commands were given by Jesus in His famous sermon, they were given to the church, not to the state. No civilisation would survive with a government turning the other cheek to murderers, rapists, paedophiles, armed robbers and violent gangsters. If one were to take these people’s Sermon on the Mount argument to its logical conclusion, then the Progressive Liberal Party government should issue a pardon to each inmate housed at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. What God expects of the civil authority and its subjects is elaborated in Romans 13:1-8; Titus 3:1 and 1 Peter 2:13-14. I challenge Bain to produce one New Testament verse that prohibits the death penalty. Just one. In this regard, I do not believe that Bain’s opposition is based on the New Testament.

KEVIN EVANS

Freeport,

Grand Bahama

January 14, 2024.