Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, recently weighed in on the social media debate surrounding the death penalty.
It all started on February 24th, when Hawkins posted a message to X saying, “The death penalty is inconsistent with the pro-life worldview.”
“Even if you feel that the death penalty is justified in some circumstances, I don’t think you should be happy about it,” she told CBN News. “I don’t think we should be flippant about prescribing the death penalty, because we have to ask ourselves what the argument in favor of the death penalty was. To protect society, right? It’s to say, ‘These people have done something so heinous that they’re very threatening and dangerous to our society. In order to save our society and protect our children, we have to put them to death.'”
Hawkins continued, “And that’s not our position. The woman who seeks an abortion, and the woman who commits the crime of abortion — which is 100 percent murder — has to ask herself, is it going to save her soul to sentence her to death and say she should receive the death penalty?”
The death penalty is inconsistent with a pro-life worldview.
— Kristan Hawkins (@KristanHawkins) February 24, 2026
Hawkins believes it is important for the pro-life community to truly consider these words, considering that “all humans are created in the image of God.”
“There’s no particular caveat to that,” she said. “Not all humans are created in the image of God, even if they are innocent or sinless. All humans, even the worst sinners, are created in the image of God.”
Eventually, Hawkins pondered whether it was possible to punish others without becoming “murderers themselves.” She said her biggest problem with the debate is the frivolity of those approaching the issue.
“There’s no mercy,” she said. “There is no conversation…The most difficult commandment is that Christ calls us to love our enemies.”
Hawkins said people should consider ways to bring people to a place of help, even those who have harmed themselves or their families. She argued that the death penalty closes the door on people changing their minds and seeking Jesus.
“Execution…ends forever and ever the possibility of repentance,” she said. “So I think it’s hard to argue that we love our enemies, that we’re keeping this commandment that Christ gave us, and then be flippant and gleeful online and argue that so many people have to die.”
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Others disagree. X user SmythRadio responded, “Imposing the death penalty on someone proven to have intentionally taken the life of an innocent human being is the most anti-life position possible.”
Others shared similar sentiments.
“God is pro-life and commands the death penalty for those who do evil,” Cut Canada wrote. “Being pro-life means protecting the innocent and punishing the guilty. It seems very clear and morally consistent to me.”
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