The death penalty is in the news after Attorney General Pam Bondi directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, 26, the man accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson.
The death penalty is a sensitive topic for many, since it is a state-sanctioned killing of a human being.
Talking about the delicate topic on American Family Radio, California church pastor Jack Hibbs addressed the issue for Bible-believing Christians. He said the Bible deals with it from many different angles.
"The Bible is very clear: the death penalty was given by God and it is to be executed by a government, not some individual,” Hibbs, pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, told show host Jenna Ellis.
Citing the Book of Romans, where Paul writes about submitting to government authorities, Hibbs said the government recognizes a terrible sin has been committed. The perpetrator, who acted like an animal, Hibbs continued, must pay with their own life for taking the life of another.
“God's Word is clear on this,” he said. “We may not like the way we feel about it but that feeling doesn't matter."
In a statement, Bondi said Thompson, 50, a father of two, was the victim of a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination” that shocked the country.
Mangione has lots of fans
Thanks to his alleged murderer, Thompson’s murder has also peeled back an ugly layer of society, too.
Some people have defended Mangione for killing a health insurance executive, as if the alleged killer was standing up for people who are victims of the health insurance industry.
Mangione has also become a celebrity to some because of his handsome looks, which is why women have lined up to attend his court appearances. That is likely why “The View” co-host Joy Behar suggested seeking the death penalty could backfire on the Trump administration.
“He’s very popular, this guy,” Behar told her co-costs this week. “There could be a backlash.”
Politico, the political website, also suggested this week President Trump could “lose Gen Z” by seeking the death penalty against Mangione.
