If the Old Testament were a reliable guide in the matter of capital punishment, half the people in the United States would have to be killed tomorrow.
Meaning of the quote
The quote suggests that if we followed the Old Testament's rules about capital punishment, meaning the punishment of death for certain crimes, then a large number of people in the United States, maybe even half, would have to be executed. The quote implies that the Old Testament's views on capital punishment are outdated and should not be used to determine punishment in modern times.
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