Death Penalty, What do you think?

[Nickt87]

I heard recently that the Boston Bomber was sentenced to death. Of course there will be appeals and years of drawn out arguments, but I was pretty surprised that a Northern Blue state would assign the death penalty.

Personally, as a Christian I do not believe a man of flesh should have the ability to make the ultimate judgment of another man. I believe that is God's responsibility and he is the only one with the ability to truly judge and sentence others for life or death. I understand that some crimes have the ability to be unfathomable, but I believe the burden of pre-meditated inflicted death should not be of any other except God.

I do believe in self/public defense and believe that it needs to be done in whatever means necessary at the moment. But once the threat is secured/removed I don't believe in executing the individual. I do also believe that the means of public/self defense is under utilized as well as over utilized in certain circumstances(I digress).

Not here to ask what you think of my belief or to tell you what I think of yours, I just am curious as to what other Americans personally believe/feel about the ability to "justifiably" execute another man that no longer has the ability to directly harm another.

I am curious to what other's perception/belief is related to the death penalty. Do you believe in the death penalty? If so, in which circumstance or at what degree? What methods of execution do you believe should be in place?

EDIT*
I guess my opinion is similar to Rules/Law of War. Remove the threat with necessary means but once the threat is secured/removed, excessive destruction is not allowed. I also believe that hard labor and harsh conditions for imprisonment are under utilized as well.