The death penalty, or some prefer to call it capital punishment, has existed since 1608. During the founding of our country there were twelve eligible mortal crimes of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and they were like follows: idolatry, witchcraft, blasphemy, murder, manslaughter, poisoning, bestiality, sodomy, adultery, man-stealing, perjury in capital cases, and conspiracy and rebellion. While some are absolutely for it and others are absolutely against it, there is a factor that comes into play on both sides of the issue and that factor is religion. Many people will claim that there is or should be a line between church and state, however religion has and will always play an important role in conceptual thinking about what is right and what is wrong, what is moral and what is immoral. Despite the fact that people prefer to think or rationalize without involving religion it is almost impossible. “By virtually any definition, religion involves a central concern with making sense of life and death. The American legal system, rooted in Judeo-Christian ethics, regularly addresses questions that challenge our basic assumptions about the meaning and sacredness of life and the role of the state in shaping and sustaining those meanings” (Young, 1992). In Miller and Bornstein's 2006 study of the use of religion and religious references in a death penalty case, researchers sought to find out whether these “religious references influenced thinking. Defense lawyers are said to be hired to defend their client and provide an argument that will be most beneficial to the client. There have been several cases involving the topic of religious appeal that lawyers have used to persuade jurors that... middle of paper... you do and believe as you believe. From devout Christians to committed agnostics and atheist religion, it shapes the way we think, act and behave. Those who tend to be most affected by the death penalty also tend to be the most against it. The Eisenburg, Garvey, and Wells researcher's findings overlap with the study Young had conducted 9 years earlier. The result is that black jurors are substantially more likely than white jurors to vote for life on the first ballot, but not on the final ballot. All jurors ultimately tend to vote with the initial majority. Jurors who identify as Southern Baptist (almost all white) tend to cast their first vote in favor of death. Support regarding the death penalty. Capital juries often contain members whose support for the death penalty compromises their impartiality and makes them legally ineligible to serve as jurors..