Previous Post – Foundations in Community – Part 2

Those of you who are regular readers here will know that my beliefs as a Christian have led me to strongly reject the death penalty.  For a more thorough look at some of the reasons I oppose it, I encourage you to read John Howard Yoder’s “The End of Sacrifice”. Too many of my Christian sisters and brothers justify capital punishment through critical misunderstanding and misrepresentation of Scripture.  I do not believe it is, ultimately, a defensible Christian stance.

However, my reasons are not simply based on my understanding of God’s will as a Christian, but also significantly on the inability of our system to get it right.  As in the case of my friend Matt Puckett, who faces execution in the state of Mississippi in less than 1 week, a close examination of the case reveals the deep inconsistencies and shocking injustices that are prevalent in so-called justice system.

In the United States alone, there are more than 3200 people facing the death penalty.  More than 1200 people have been electrocuted, shot, hanged, lethally injected and asphyxiated in the name of justice- men, women, children and people with mental illness.  Despite the increasing evidence is showing that many innocent people are being killed- for example, for every 8 people executed, 1 person on death row is exonerated- too many people still support this flawed system.

While the following video will not convince everyone, I hope it will be one piece in the puzzle in helping those who still support the death penalty to consider.  And if you do not support it, please use your voice to call for justice.  This needs to end.  Also, please help Matt by signing AND sharing this petition.  He has less than a week, so don’t wait.  Thank you.