>The reason we still have the death penalty is because most Americans stand firmly by their Christian roots and conclude that "an eye for an eye" is fair.
Thank you Mr Bingley for your research. It ocurred to me that I can't think of a European country which has been so keen to follow its "Christian" roots: Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Vatican City, or maybe we just aint "Christian" enough.
In checking my facts, I came across the following article in Time Magazine:
Concerning the question of capital punishment, the U.S. and its allies stand on opposite sides of a great divide. All 15 members of the European Union have banned the death penalty, and the organization actively promotes its abolition throughout the world. Brussels has made abolition a precondition to E.U. membership, as has the 41-member Council of Europe, thereby spurring most East and Central European aspirants to do away with capital punishment.http://www.time.com/time/europe/eu/magazine/0,9868,109552,00.html
