Hours age, Utah inmate Ronnie Lee Gardner was executed by firing squad.

All technicalities and facts specific to this case aside, the question has been raised, are we better off as a society because of this?

Personally, I don't think we are any better off with him having been executed. I don't believe an overwhelming sense of peace and justice settled over the valley just after midnight and I don't feel that the pain of the families of the men killed has been lessened because a sentence was carried out.

But then again, I am completely opposed to the death penalty, regardless of the crime so it's pretty black and white to me.

What I fail to understand is how so many supposed Christians feel comfortable in the grey area of picking and choosing whose life is worth fighting for.

If we are to claim God as the ultimate judge of our sins, it shows a complete lack of faith and trust in His judgment to invoke something like the death penalty in the meantime.

Do not think that I see Ronnie Lee Gardner as being above the law because I don't. He committed horrible crimes and the severity of his actions need not be minimized.

I believe in our justice system and understand that the law of the land should absolutely be followed and when it is not, punishment is necessary.

However, I don't believe the power to determine if someone lives or dies in order to make restitution is a right our justice system should hold. The extent of power should be limited to how a life should be spent, not if it can be lived.

In this case, life without parole would have been sufficient.