Answer: People commonly argue that the death penalty is inhumane, barbaric, and no deterrent to crime. While critics suggest that these issues are paramount in settling the question, the Bible reveals the heart of the matter–the value of human life. In God’s view, when a human life is taken intentionally, it must be paid for with a human life. "[F]rom each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being. Whoever sheds human blood, by human beings shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made humankind" (Genesis 9:5, 6). Abolishing the death penalty represents a cheapening of human life rather than an advance in civilization or a triumph of justice. Consider this: only the death of Jesus Christ, God’s Lamb without spot or blemish, could redeem the souls of humankind from sin. That is how much God values human beings. And likewise, he rightly demands that we place a premium on human life.