{"id":33101,"date":"2026-10-12T11:30:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T15:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/?p=33101"},"modified":"2026-10-12T11:30:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T15:30:16","slug":"should-christians-watch-hasans-livestreamed-execution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2026\/10\/should-christians-watch-hasans-livestreamed-execution","title":{"rendered":"Should Christians Watch Hasan\u2019s Livestreamed Execution?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Left: Adobe Stock | Right: Public Domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Recently, the Pentagon announced that the Dec. 3 execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, would be livestreamed \u2014 the modern manifestation of a \u201cpublic\u201d execution. So the central question is simple: should Christians watch it?<\/div>\n
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Some people will argue against watching because they oppose capital punishment. If you don\u2019t believe that the government should put people to death, you obviously wouldn\u2019t watch this. Thus, people who are wrestling with whether to watch it presumably don\u2019t have a philosophical or theological problem with the death penalty.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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There are plenty of people who will offer an opinion \u2014 usually a very strident opinion \u2014 on both sides of this issue. But one of the biggest challenges facing our society is the number of people who are ready to tell you what you can and cannot do or believe. Frankly, Scripture supports both sides of the issue, so Christians should review Scripture on all sides and pray for clarity before deciding whether to watch.<\/p>\n

For example, the Old Testament contains several passages that establish capital punishment for a number of crimes. Murder is one of those crimes: \u201cHe who strikes someone so that he dies shall certainly be put to death\u201d (Exodus 21:12<\/a> NASB). In the theocratic system of ancient Israel, though, other crimes also carried the death penalty \u2014 idolatry, witchcraft and some sexual offenses, to name a few. The typical way to carry out such punishment was by stoning, which clearly made it a \u201cpublic\u201d execution. For example, see Jesus\u2019 discussion with the religious leaders in John 8 about the woman caught in the act of adultery.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Jesus\u2019 teaching in the New Testament, however, offers another perspective. In the Sermon on the Mount, He made several statements contrasting \u201cthe way things have always been\u201d with the way of His kingdom. \u201cYou have heard that it was said, \u2018EYE FOR EYE, AND TOOTH FOR TOOTH.\u2019 But I say to you, do not show opposition against an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other toward him also\u201d (Matthew 5:38-39<\/a>). It is important to remember, though, that there is a difference between what individual believers do and what governments do. Jesus\u2019 teaching, therefore, does not contradict the Old Testament laws, a fact He Himself noted in Matthew 5:17<\/a>: \u201cI have not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets \u2026 but to fulfill.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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So what biblical principles should a Christian consider in determining whether it would be appropriate to watch a livestreamed execution? First, guard your heart. Christians have spoken out against violent entertainment and video games for many years because such media can harden our hearts and make us less compassionate toward others. As Paul wrote to the Philippians: \u201cFinally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things\u201d (Philippians 4:8<\/a>).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In that same vein, examine your motivation for watching. Are you interested in seeing justice done? Is there some reason why this particular execution has meaning for you? For instance, if you were a family member of someone whom Hasan killed, you might believe that seeing his death would bring you some sort of closure or promote emotional healing. Perhaps you are an active-duty member of the military or a veteran; the horror of a military member carrying out mass killings on a military base hits close to home. Watching his execution may help you believe that justice has been served and provide strength to continue serving your country.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But the Bible does not only talk about justice. \u201cHe has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God\u201d (Micah 6:8<\/a>). Psalm 101 also reminds us about mercy and justice: \u201cI will sing of mercy and justice; to You, Lord, I will sing praises. I will carefully attend to the blameless way. When will You come to me? I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart. I will set no worthless thing before my eyes \u2026\u201d (Psalm 101:1-3<\/a>).<\/p>\n

So how do you decide whether to watch? First, study Scripture and pray for God\u2019s wisdom and direction. Rather than listening to voices that say \u201cYou can\u2019t do this\u201d or \u201cYou have to do that,\u201d listen to the Holy Spirit. Second, decide before December 3 whether you will watch \u2014 and why. Be prepared to explain your decision to your children, to friends and coworkers or to fellow believers. The more we ignore the question, the more likely we are to be swayed by emotional arguments when the time arrives. Third, pray for those affected by the shooting. Pray for the families who lost loved ones. Pray for others at Fort Hood who experienced the horror to some degree. And pray for Hasan \u2014 that he would recognize his need for God\u2019s forgiveness and find it in his last days. The takeaway is to make your decision prayerfully, explain it clearly, and keep compassion at the center. If your conscience is unsettled, do not watch; choose the path that best guards your heart, keeps mercy in view, and honors God.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

If you decide not to watch, take concrete steps to protect that decision. Stay off social media, or adjust your settings so that videos don\u2019t automatically play when you scroll past them. If you have children with social media access, make sure their content controls don\u2019t allow them to accidentally access violent content. If they\u2019ve asked questions about it, don\u2019t ignore the issue; help them understand your view and why you don\u2019t think they should watch it. Ask them if they want to pray for those who were affected by the shooting. And remind them that Jesus loves everyone and wants everyone to come to know Him. We can acknowledge things that are evil while still seeking, as Micah 6:8 puts it, \u201cto act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.\u201d The takeaway is that Christians should respond with discernment, mercy, and prayer.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Recently, the Pentagon announced that the Dec. 3 execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, would be livestreamed \u2014 the modern manifestation of a \u201cpublic\u201d execution. So the central question is simple: should Christians watch it? Some people will argue against watching because they…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":33104,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nShould Christians Watch Hasan\u2019s Livestreamed Execution?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Should Christians watch the livestreamed execution of Fort Hood killer Nidal Hasan? 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