On Monday, March 31, come hear Sister Helen Prejean, author of
Dead Man Walking, speak at Highlands United Methodist Church, Birmingham
at 7 p.m.
There may be sound arguments in favor of the Death Penalty.
Unfortunately for us Christians, none of these arguments can
be made on biblical or Christian theological grounds. The Social
Principles of the United Methodist Church oppose capital punishment.
That provision states as follows:
The Death Penalty
We believe the death penalty denies the power of Christ to
redeem, restore and transform all human beings. The United Methodist
Church is deeply concerned about crime throughout the world and
the value of any life taken by a murder or homicide. We believe
all human life is sacred and created by God and therefore, we
must see all human life as significant and valuable. When governments
implement the death penalty (capital punishment), then the life
of the convicted person is devalued and all possibility of change
in that person’s life ends. We believe in the resurrection
of Jesus Christ and that the possibility of reconciliation with
Christ comes through repentance. This gift of reconciliation
is offered to all individuals without exception and gives all
life new dignity and sacredness. For this reason, we oppose the
death penalty (capital punishment) and urge its elimination from
all criminal codes.
- From The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church--2004.
Based on statistics from the Bureau of Justice, Alabama leads
the nation in the rate of new death sentences for the past five
years. With a population of 4.5 million people, Alabama imposed
13 new death sentences, greater than the 11 imposed in Texas
with a population of 23.5 million.
Senator Hank Sanders from Selma has regularly introduced a bill
in the Alabama Legislature for a number of years seeking to declare
a moratorium on the death penalty. It has had no success thus
far. It has been introduced again this year.
United Methodist, Bill Clark (member of Highlands UMC) has recently
presented a resolution to the Alabama Criminal Defense Lawyers
Association which calls for a joint resolution of the Governor
and the Legislature to direct a study of the death penalty process
with a moratorium being declared during that study.
I invite you to join us on March 31 in thinking about and praying
for the issue of the Death Penalty in Alabama.
Will Willimon |
