Originally posted by Crusader:
We are NOT sending someone to hell by imposing the death penalty. No one can send you to hell. You send yourself.
To believe THAT, then you have to believe that God sends people to hell. God ordained the destruction of Sodom, Gomorrha, all those outside the ark in Noah's day, etc.
Do you claim that Peter sent Ananias and Sapphira to hell in Acts 5:1-10? Satan was in their heart when they lied about giving to the Apostles and were killed for it. Since Satan was in them, they were not saved. So did Peter "send them to hell"? No, they were responsible for their eternal destiny. They received the punishment for their crime. That's it. Don't read anything more into it.
Read the scripture. Peter didn't kill Ananias.
Act 5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
Act 5:2 And kept back [part] of the price, his wife also being privy [to it], and brought a certain part, and laid [it] at the apostles' feet.
Act 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back [part] of the price of the land?
Act 5:4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
Act 5:5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
Act 5:6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried [him] out, and buried [him].
One commentary I read guessed that he had a heart attack because he was so worried over the consequences of what he had done. Another suggested that God struck him down. Neither one of these is in the scripture. Neither is Peter killing him however if that had been the case I would guess that would have been recorded since it would have been obvious.
All of us would go to hell if we didn't accept Christ as our Savior. I agree it would be our own fault. But, let's assume that the day before you became a Christian you were murdered in the street. Would your murderer have had any impact on your eternal salvation? Of course.
I'm willing to say that he prevented you from accepting Christ and thereby caused you to go to eternal torment rather than Heaven. The impact of this is the same, however, as sending you to Hell. Different semantecs but the same result.
