Death penalty assumes that the person can't change. And our society is based on the fact that people can change and should be given the chance to do so. You know those good old Christian values. I find it very strange that the US, a country that is so fearful of God, is willing enough to take his position in deciding who dies and who does not. All for the sake of, it seems, convenience.
I am glad we no longer have the death penalty but we should definitely have some better prisons/length in time/ justice system.
Pedophiles and career criminals do not change. Have you ever seen the stats at where a pedophile commits another crime after being "rehabilitated"? It was almost 98% back in 1997. Really who cares if someone "changes" if they rapped 20+ children or if a scumbag kills a family for a gang initiation? What do they "change" to and why should society care at that point?
The damage they have already done will be felt for generations. Supporting them for decades to come takes the chance away from children who could use the guidance that money could have provided them. So in essence you are perpetuating the problem for generations by not solving it with the ease of an injection or the pull of a trigger.
As for a Biblical take on it I don't think you wanna go there. A) Tatty will have to do some serious cleaning in just a few posts. B) I can show you dozens of examples in the Bible where capital punishment is not only allowed but sanctioned by the almighty himself.
Personally I am looking at this from a logical point of view. Why should a society support someone convicted of a crime and condemned to serve a life sentence? Its like getting a cancer and putting a band aid on it. No its better to cut it out so that the wound may heal and promote growth. Same thing with capital punishment. Why should tax money go to support something that gives nothing back in return when, supporting education has proven to reduce crime? Why?