It requires a disproportionate expenditure of time, energy and money by courts, prosecuting attorneys, defense attorneys, juries, and courtroom and correctional personnel. It is actually cheaper to keep someone in prison for life than to go through the appeal process involved in capital punishment cases. No conclusive study has shown the death penalty to be a deterrent. In fact, several studies have shown that violence and homicides have actually increased in the few months prior to and after an execution. Since human beings and human institutions are fallible, the innocent have been executed in the past, and will inevitably be executed in the future.
Death is a different punishment from any other.
The execution of an innocent person is a mistake we cannot correct. Through the Law, God entrusts humanity with the power to order and protect society, but the Gospel mandates that such protection be achieved through restorative justice that never abandons hope for the redemption of any individual. The death penalty's focus on retribution, and use as an outlet for vengeance, is inherently irreconcilable with the Church's proclamation of God's love and forgiveness. 3 Lutherans are urged to read and reflect upon the Church's l991 Social Statement on the Death Penalty , in which the theology behind such policy is explained in detail. Educate ourselves and our churches.