Please, Not In My Name
Once again we have seen an example of ancient, pagan, non-compassionate
justice. I am again appalled by the death of a man in state-sanctioned
murder. When will we ever learn?

I am opposed to capital punishment for any reason. As a deterrent it is
useless. It affirms the place of violence as a reaction to violence. It
affirms the lowest common denominator of human lack of ethical and moral
compasses. Kill or be killed!

I have never been in favor of capital punishment. It goes against
everything I believe, everything I have ever been taught by my faith,
everything I hope to leave as a legacy to the world. It is the end of a
justice system that has only retribution in mind.

What of the victims of the murderer? Will this bring them back? Or does
this just satisfy some human need for revenge? Of course revenge is a
natural desire. It would be naive to think otherwise. But is it the moral
and ethical thing to do? No, I don't think so because again, it feeds the
anger and the violence.

As Stanley Hauerwas has said, he is a pacifist because he needs to be
reminded from time to time so he doesn't become like those he disagrees
with. I, too, am more than aware of my human failings. I hold to the
opposition to capital punishment because I know if someone I loved was
murdered my reaction would be angry, no rage-filled, revenge. But my
beliefs, my core values have to hold at that point. They have to remain
solid or I am just a lot of hot air. I take this stand so that should I
ever be tempted to recant it, I will be reminded that this is not the way of
Jesus.

What would Jesus do? If he is truly pro-life (and I firmly and broadly
believe he is) then this is no different than any other issue when one
person or society decides it is okay to take the life of another.

May God have mercy on our national soul for remaining the only modern,
western, civilized nation that keeps this vestige of barbarism.