--- title: "Christians debate: the death penalty and British identity" date: 2026-10-14T11:21:00+01:00 author: Zanna Meynell canonical_url: "https://www.eauk.org/resources/our-resources/videos-and-podcasts/cross-section/christians-debate-the-death-penalty-and-british-identity" section: Pages --- [ ![CS s11 e4 YT Thumbnail 1 A 4](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271200%27%20height%3D%27675%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) ![CS s11 e4 YT Thumbnail 1 A 4](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) ## Christians debate: the death penalty and British identity ### Watch Cross Section now ](#%0A%09%09%09) In this episode of Cross Section, Peter Lynas, Danny Webster and Alicia Edmund record together from the studio. In the news review, the team discuss a French cyber-attack that hacked supermarket fridges, Trump buying large quantities of diesel from Putin, and the proposed ​’Celebrity Handcuffed’ pairing of Suella Braverman and Katie Price. The main conversation explores recent comments by Braverman and Kemi Badenoch on Englishness vs Britishness, and why people may identify as British rather than English. They then unpack Theos Think Tank’s Beyond Christian Nationalism research on how UK adults relate Christianity to national identity, including survey findings on language, economic contribution, race, Christianity and moral decline. The episode concludes with a debate on the death penalty and live-streaming executions after events in the US – Christa Pike’s failed execution and the proposed livestream of the killing of Nidal Hasan – sparked considerable discussion on the topic. What is the biblical backing for or against it? What are the Cross Section team’s opinions on it? Chapters: [0:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE) Welcome [0:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=58s) French supermarket fridge hacking [2:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=134s) Trump’s diesel deal with Putin [3:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=195s) Celebrity Handcuffed [4:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=243s) English vs British: Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch [8:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=525s) Theos research: beyond Christian nationalism [14:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=892s) Quiz: what makes you British? [22:47](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=1367s) Shared civic identity and gospel opportunity [24:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=1495s) Christa Pike failed execution [26:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=1579s) Nidal Hasan and the death penalty [29:31](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=1771s) Biblical case against the death penalty [33:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=1986s) Biblical case for the death penalty [39:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=2343s) Should executions be live streamed? [44:37](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=2677s) Closing and final encouragements In this episode of Cross Section, Peter Lynas, Danny Webster and Alicia Edmund record together from the studio. In the news review, the team discuss a French cyber-attack that hacked supermarket fridges, Trump buying large quantities of diesel from Putin, and the proposed ​’Celebrity Handcuffed’ pairing of Suella Braverman and Katie Price. The main conversation explores recent comments by Braverman and Kemi Badenoch on Englishness vs Britishness, and why people may identify as British rather than English. They then unpack Theos Think Tank’s [Beyond Christian Nationalism](https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/research/2026/10/10/beyond-christian-nationalism-measuring-attitudes-to-christianity-and-britishness-today) research on how UK adults relate Christianity to national identity, including survey findings on language, economic contribution, race, Christianity and moral decline. The episode concludes with a debate on the death penalty and live-streaming executions after events in the US – Christa Pike’s failed execution and the proposed livestream of the killing of Nidal Hasan – sparked considerable discussion on the topic. What is the biblical backing for or against it? What are the Cross Section team’s opinions on it? Chapters: [0:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE) Welcome [0:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=58s) French supermarket fridge hacking [2:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=134s) Trump’s diesel deal with Putin [3:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=195s) Celebrity Handcuffed [4:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=243s) English vs British: Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch [8:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=525s) Theos research: beyond Christian nationalism [14:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=892s) Quiz: what makes you British? [22:47](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=1367s) Shared civic identity and gospel opportunity [24:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=1495s) Christa Pike failed execution [26:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=1579s) Nidal Hasan and the death penalty [29:31](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=1771s) Biblical case against the death penalty [33:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=1986s) Biblical case for the death penalty [39:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=2343s) Should executions be live streamed? [44:37](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc-werjiXE&t=2677s) Closing and final encouragements