Texas will almost certainly hit the grim total of 400 executions this month, far ahead of any other state, testament to the influence of the state's conservative evangelical Christians and its cultural mix of Old South and Wild West.

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Like his predecessor, Governor Perry is a devout Christian, highlighting one key factor in Texas' enthusiasm for the death penalty that many outsiders find puzzling -- the support it gets from conservative evangelical churches.

This is in line with their emphasis on individuals taking responsibility for their own salvation, and they also find justification in scripture.

"A lot of evangelical Protestants not only believe that capital punishment is permissible but that it is demanded by God. And they see sanction for that in the Old Testament especially," said Matthew Wilson, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

I was reminded of the Bible story from John (8:7) where a mob of people brought a woman to be stoned to death, but Jesus stopped them saying, "He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her."

Of course there are other Bible passages that condone capital punishment, just as there are contradictory Bible verses countless other issues. This is why I cannot believe the Bible is infallible and why I believe it cannot be taken literally. When one cites a Bible passage to justify one's position, they usually choose the passage that supports their preexisting prejudice and discount the one that says the opposite