HOMICIDE

One of God’s commandments in Exodus 20 states: “Thou shalt not kill,” or more precisely, “You shall not murder.” The act of deliberately taking a human life is wrong, although we have justified situations such as with self-defense, war, and capital punishment.

In 2023 The U.S. homicide rate averaged around 6.8 per 100,000 people, with approximately 22,830 total homicides. The Southeast had the highest rates, showing Mississippi at the top, with around 20.5 deaths per 100,000 and Texas also ranked high, with 6.05 to 7.1 per 100,000. The most violent city in the world (in early 2026) is Duran in Ecuador with a homicide rate of 148 per 100,000 residents.

Murder is common around the world and is a leading cause of death. However. war is of course the worst: there were 620,000 military fatalities in the Civil War, 405,399 in World War II and 119,516 in World War I. There were also casualties in the Korean War, the War of 1812, The Mexican American War, the Spanish-American war, and in the present so-called War on Terror. Additionally, the destructive power of war is in the trillions.

Execution is also frequent, and “global executions reached their highest levels since 2015, with 1,518 recorded in 2024 (a 32% increase over 2023) and 1,153 in 2023, primarily driven by surges in Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. Despite this rise, only 16 countries executed people in 2023, indicating increasing global isolation of capital punishment” (from the Internet). China maintains its distinction as the leading executioner in the world.

During wars I have had friends who were pacifists, “holding an ideology that rejects all forms of violence, arguing it causes more suffering than it solves. They often advocate for peaceful conflict resolution, with some, like conscientious objectors, refusing military service.” One of my pacifist friends served in the medical corps, where he would not have to carry a gun. Another was not hostile about war but convinced that it was morally wrong.

I treated both men as friends, although I did not agree with their positions. I think that it is wrong to kill but I also believe that war is sometimes necessary and that, in war, people kill and are killed.

In the U.S. mass shootings account for many deaths. In 2025 alone there were 420 people killed, and 900 wounded in 425 shootings. We are not done. Already by mid-April 2026 The Gun Violence Archive has recorded 105 mass shootings, with 8 mass shootings reported within the first 7 days of the year. Last week a Shreveport Louisiana, a father fatally shot eight children, including seven of his own.

Riots are also common around the world and fatalities during demonstrations that were the highest were reported recently in Mozambique, Kenya, and Syria. From January 1, 1975, through September 10, 20253, some 597 people have been killed in politically motivated attacks in the United States.

I often watch a forensic detective show on TV, and the cause of murder is most often money (greed), sexual relationships (adultery, infidelity), and pure hatred. People suffer, including the innocent, and even when the killer is found and punished, the evil results go on, affecting family, friends, and community.

I read online that “Major causes of murder are primarily driven by interpersonal conflicts, violent crime, and emotional triggers, with over 40% of homicides stemming from arguments and roughly 23% occurring during felonies like robbery.”

We know then that the major causes of murder are interpersonal conflicts, violent crime, and emotional problems, with over 40% of homicides stemming from arguments and roughly 23% occurring during felonies like robbery

Killing is commonly reported in the Bible. Moses, who received the 10 commandments, killed an Egyptian (Exodus 2.11-12), hid him in the sand and then had to flee to save his own life.

Someone can also be killed (not murdered) accidentally but, even then, the guilt may linger. My father accidentally ran over my two-year old sister, and she died as a result. My dad never got over the feelings of guilt.

We may not have literally killed someone, but we can so in our hearts: “Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.” (1 John 3.16, NLT)

Those are hard words but express clearly what Jesus had to say about murderers. However, we should note that God does offer forgiveness for murder after repentance, as in the cases of, for example, Moses, David and Paul. 

Karl Franklin