Capital Punishment?

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, since 1976 Delaware has executed 14 people, and executed 62 prior to 1976.  There are currently 18 people on death row in delaware (all are males).  As we journey toward holy week and ponder Jesus' execution, we may wish to think about whether the death penalty is consistent with what we believe about God and what we understand in the Bible.

Is it ever justified for one person (or a government) to kill another?  Does the death penalty deter crime?  How do  beliefs about God and understanding of the Bible inform our position on the issue?   People who support the death penalty point to studies which suggest the death penalty reduces violent crime.  Those who oppose it, however, cite other studies that indicate that the death penalty does not reduce violent crime at all.  Those who oppose the death penalty often ponit out that it is arbitrarily applied, that racial and gender bias play a part in who gets the death sentence, and that the quality of legal representation has a significant impact on who is sentenced to die and who is not.

But, what do we believe as Christians?  How does our faith inform our position on this issue?  The Adult Spiritual Formation Class will explore capital punishment on Sunday mornings from February 17 through March 16.  We will use as our discussion guide a DVD based study produced by Living the Quesitons and narrated by Sister Helen Prejean.  Please join us at 9:30 AM on Sunday mornings.

Sister Helen Prejean is a strong advocate for the abolution of the death penalty, has ministered to inmates on death row, and authored two books based on those experiences, Dead Man Walking and The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions.

Some places to find more information include Sister Helen Prejean's website,  Amensty International, Death Penalty Discourse Network and Death Penalty Focus.