Huckabee Claimed Jesus 'On The Cross' Supported The Death Penalty

Huckabee dodged the question that time. But in 1997, Huckabee claimed that Jesus would have agreed with him on supporting the death penalty. Shortly before a triple execution in Arkansas in Jan. 1997, a caller called into Huckabee's show on Arkansas Educational Television Network and asking how he squared his Christian teachings with his support for the death penalty. As the Arkansas Times reported on Jan. 22, 1997:

"Interestingly enough," Huckabee allowed, "if there was ever an occasion for someone to have argued against the death penalty, I think Jesus could have done so on the cross and said, 'This is an unjust punishment and I deserve clemency'."

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Comments

[GenXer]

08:22 AM on 12/04/2007

Just like not having a Muslim in your cabinet, these type of questins with a religious pretext have little place in debates for the office of the President of The United States. It is clearly stated in the Constitution. People running for office are sworn to uphold the laws of the land and not the bible.

[DrZane]

05:12 PM on 12/03/2007

As a Baptist preacher, Huckabee apparently was able to answer “yes” to a question posed by one of his favorite Baptist Spirituals “Were You There the Day They Crucified My Lord.”
http://lobotomycolumn.com/2007/12/03/huckabee-claims-jesus-on-the-cross-supported-the-death-penalty.aspx

[seawolf77]

04:57 PM on 12/03/2007

President Huckabee. Yuck. Double Yuck.

[MissingAmerica]

02:21 PM on 12/03/2007

He seems to forget that Jesus did what he did for a reason. If anything, anyone considering himself a Christian should realize what a mistake that was. Personally, I used to be for the death penalty, but I've grown up and I've changed. I fail to see how one can stop killing by flaunting killing as a penalty. It makes no sense.

[BobSF94117]

02:03 PM on 12/03/2007

"Interestingly enough," Huckabee allowed, "if there was ever an occasion for someone to have argued against the death penalty, I think Jesus could have done so on the cross and said, 'This is an unjust punishment and I deserve clemency'."

WOW! Put aside the awful policy position for a second and let's just look at the theology. I'm not even Catholic anymore and I'm stunned by this. Christ's suffering and death on the cross is the pivotal moment in Christian theology, more important than the Resurrection itself. That a pastor of ANY branch of Christianity would suggest that Jesus would have addressed something as comparatively unimportant as the death penalty at that point is beyond amazing. (P.S. Not that I think any of that stuff really happened, but still!)

[supergranny]

01:37 PM on 12/03/2007

This country just worships anyone who can deflect reality, and revert to the bible, jesus and a bunch of other hot buttons. Americans deserve all that they reap from the dummies they worship. How did a country leaving behind religous persecution (so its told) only to be so one-sided about personal faith. Take away the tax-free status of these institutions and their influence will go away. What a racket.

[lanceomatic]

12:36 PM on 12/03/2007

Where do people get the idea the the god of the Bible is pro-life? The death penalty os all over Leviticus. A man gets killed simply for picking up sticks on the Sabbath. Much of the Old Testament reads like the Hebrew version of "Mein Kampf" what with one "divinely-inspired" genocide after another. Joshua comes off like Yahweh's Hitler. As I stated before, let's have a candidate based in reality, not mythology.

[ArjenBoatsma]

10:59 AM on 12/03/2007

I always thought that the most important document in this country, the writings against which everything else is measured, is the CONSTITUTION.

Who cares what Jesus thinks. He is not the the POTUS, SCOTUS, and neither is the bible. Stop this nonsense

[ElkoJohn]

08:37 AM on 12/03/2007

the bozo who invented religion will have a lot to answer for at the pearly gates
`

[Tankan]

05:43 AM on 12/03/2007

Mr Huckabee should know you cannot serve God and Mammon! Something just not right about a Bible in one hand and Death in the other. Mr Huckabee should not be putting words into the mouth of Christ, nowhere in the Bible can any justification for Mr Huckabees words be found!
Christ would never have argued about His dying on the cross, for He was doing His Fathers will! And, concerning approval of the death penalty, why did Christ ask that those who killed Him be forgiven, demonstrating that what they did to Him was wrong in that it broke Gods law, thou shalt not kill!

[godlessclif]

05:17 AM on 12/03/2007

Huck just wants to treat people like FEDEX packages. Is that so wrong?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1xdtnlSrCQ&feature=related

[Qbear]

08:36 PM on 12/02/2007

DON'T get fooled by Chuckles Huckabee's funny little clwn persona.


http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-8/1210139/Huckabee2.jpg

[lanceomatic]

07:12 PM on 12/02/2007

Assuming that Jesus even existed historically (and there is no non-Biblical evidence that he did), the point of Christianity is that Jesus did have to be sacrificed in order to fulfill the whole "divine" scheme of things that began with alleged "fall of man" that began in the mythological Garden of Eden. Since Jesus was to have existed from the beginning of time (whatever!), he knew of his fate from the beginning. At any rate, I would really love to see a candidate who bases his or her ideas on the real world, not some ancient cult or the other.

[dansama]

04:10 PM on 12/02/2007

Is this what the GOP is reduced to, RUDY who every day seems more and more like the reincarnation of that corrupt NIXON admin, or the religious rights last stand via Rev. Huckleberry. Haven't the Neocons done enough damage to the country, taken enough tax dollars through the mission "Iraqi money laundering", excuse me "Iraqi Freedom" and sullying of our standing in the world community? Russia is reforming as the former brutal directorship it was, and all we get is Jesus loves water-boarding and executions.

[esquire07]

03:21 PM on 12/02/2007

Wow. How did the level of Conversation in this Nation fall so deep into the Gutter ?

Jesus would weep if he saw the Evil that has fallen upon this Nation.

George Bush would be the first to order the nails driven through his "Saviours" body.

Hypocrital Scoundrals.

Many will die for the dollar. The Bush criminals will simply move to Dubai.