Similarly, opponents of the death penalty can take certain verses or words from the Bible, particularly from the New Testament, to support their position. In my own research and study of the biblical interpretation of the death penalty, I believe that the matter stands on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Through the actions, words, and very person of Jesus, each of us is given the possibility of knowing the truth concerning the value of life. James Megivern is his book The Death Penalty sums it up best. Life is the issue, and deliberately destroying human life, all human life, any human life is wrong period.
Every person has universal, inviolable, inalienable rights.
Basic to all is the Right to Life. Even if one disagrees with one or more of these factors, the overwhelming evidence is that it is lacking in credibility as a rational response. Therefore, we recommend a moratorium on executions in the 38 states, and the federal government, until rational alternatives are found that are acceptable to the public. One alternative, which is gaining considerable public acceptance, is to impose life imprisonment without any possibility of parole. This summary is extracted from a larger research document which provides the reader with significant detail on the reasons for a moratorium.