It's Friday of a holiday weekend am I'm currently sitting in a tiny office in the back corner of my church working on putting together a list of people, United Methodists especially but anyone is welcome, who are willing to call and/or write a letter (not email) to their legislators in Jefferson City regarding the death penalty in MO. Specifically, I'm working my part time job for the MO Annual Conference Social Justice Team who have made it one of their specific goals to speak out against the death penalty. To me, this is a no brainer - "Thou shalt not kill" is pretty plain English and I don't see a lot of room for interpretation (but then I did read a book for a class once regarding the translation of "kill" which could also be "murder" and then there are BIG interpretive debates). I also really love the bumper sticker that says "Why do we kill people to show that killing people in wrong?" Go ahead, Big Unit - I figure you have an answer. :)
Thus far in my work, it's been a lot of research and set up kind of stuff - making a database to store the names and addresses of folks who sign on to the list, tracking down the names of people who have been parts of similar things in the past, looking up current pastors of churches who signes a resolution calling for a moratorium on executions in MO at 2006 Annual Conference, etc. It's been fun, but I'm now getting to the point where it's going to be a lot of phone calls to people that it is presumed will not want to hear from me. I kind of feel like I'm a telemarketer, but I'm not really sure why the expectation is that people will cringe when I mention the death penalty. Can you help me understand this? I really want to understand all sides of the debate...
7 comments:
Selective interpretation, how nice.....that some things are up for debate and interpretation but some are cut and dry. Why not just forgive everybody and call it hunky dory? That's what everybody wants to do w/ my ex-sister in law who taught at a christian school an molested one of her 14 yr old girl students.
Wow- heavy topic. Moses wasn't the beginning of 'do not kill'. It appeared in the Book of the Dead prior to the Hebrews Exodus, making it's roots in paganism.
Don't you think the problem comes from fear- that society doesn't really know how to protect it's self from those that threaten it? Some from rage, some from revenge, some from 'an eye for an eye'? Some from just plain, terrible fear? I think we either do things from love or fear- no exceptions really and I think this fits the fear category.
I just don't think people mix their religion with their criminal justice all that often. And I don't think everyone's religion reflects the same idea.
A friend of mine, not a religous man, feels so strongly that the death penalty is wrong, that he defends death row inmates pro-bono. He always has a case or two that he is championing outside of his regular practice of law. It's part of his moral fiber, not really his theology.
If we aren't forgiving Big Unit, then aren't we judging and what is the interpretation of that? I don't think anything about keeping society safe is really cut and dry- do you?
People can be forgiven by their victims and by God but that doesn't excuse them from civil/criminal justice. Nor does forgiveness call us to ignorance or carelessness: you might forgive someone that molested your child but that doesn't mean you would let them babysit (I hope).
If the victim forgives and God forgives, who are the rest of us to say that there needs to be something more done? Why does killing someone "make up" for whatever they did? Unit, you're an unabashed Christian, so what do you do with "love your enemies and pray for those that persecute you" in this debate? I'm not saying that I disagree with everything you said above, but I'm curious as to how people reconcile all of these things...
And Mary, I don't think this is solely a religious issue at all; basic humanitarian concerns definitely come into play here, but my current job is specifically within a religious context. I'm finding that there's generally a lot of apathy - people don't want to get involved in something that is seen as complicated and controversial. They're too busy to deal with anything that doesn't directly concern them and their loved ones. Huh.
Thanks Big Unit- well said and I totally agree. I just always feel such angst over judgment. Mandy- great questions,I think it depends on what the transgression is. If someone you trust betrays you, then yes it is between you and them and God. But what if they are a real predator on society? Someone that will keep offending and harming people unless stopped some how. Every time I've been up for jury duty I've ended up on a jury. Two of them were murder cases. For me, these cases are haunting - they never really leave me. Partially because the entire judgement thing- who am I to judge? partially because the pain of the crime and partially because of the dynamics in the jury room.
I agree Mandy- it is a humanitarian issue and I tend to always see those with strong God convictions should be more on board but that isn't the case. One was a death penalty case (which I could no longer morally sit on- it was years ago)and the last person convinced of guilty was the only juror that wanted the death penalty. That was so baffling to me- it took forever for you to arrive at your decision, but by goodness you're ready to hang them??!!!! The most recent one was a kid that stabbed his cousin 52 times. We had jurors that wanted to give life w/out parole and those that wanted to give involuntary manslaughter. I can't tell you how off my judgment was on which way certain people would lean. One gal went on and on about her husband carrying a concealed weapon- ok, she's a hard ass right? Nope- involuntary manslaughter. Another gal, very passionate and caring about single moms, seemed like a real bleeding heart liberal- easy going right? Nope - life without parole and nothing less would do. The whole thing just sucked. I really struggle with reconciling it all- but, we have to do something to function as a society so I just feel stuck.
I don't know that it's apathy as much as being overwhelmed and not wanting the burden. Is there a good answer? You judge them, then you are responsible for taking away part of their life. If you acquit them, then what happens if they do it again? To use my jury duty as a microcosm, few people came back into the room when we were first given the case with their minds made up. Most I think felt, holy cow, I don't want to do this. If you haven't been on jury duty, after you decide what they are guilty of, you have to decide the penalty. Imagine deciding how much of their life someone else is going to lose?
We have more choices now- it's easier to incarcerate for a long time. But what if we were still a nomadic people- you can't haul a jail around with Ted Bundy locked up thru the desert- how do you insure survival of society? I guess the only option is capital punishment.
Have either of you ever been on jury duty and if so what were your thoughts on it? If you haven't been- what are your thoughts if you should be called up? Do you have any conflicts with sitting in judgement?
I haven't been on jury duty. I could be fair and open minded and don't think I would have any trouble w/ sentencing within the law. That doesn't mean I would want to flip the switch though.
That's great Big Unit. My wish is that it's a decision you'll never have to make though :) I wasn't opposed to the death penalty until I served on that jury. They ask you if there is a set of circumstances where you could give someone that was guilty the death penalty. At the time I thought there was. We were sequesterd so it was one of those 'only you and your God', times when my moment in truth came. I knew then it was something I couldn't and shouldn't do- there is no judgement in others that feel differently- just my experience. Although, if I gave that sentence, to me it would be like flipping the switch, so I found your comment interesting. Thank goodness, it never came close to that. The judge told us later it was the only case in that county where they sought the death penalty and it wasn't given.
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