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Amidst divided public opinion...
Capital punishment is one of the more pressing issues in criminal justice. Currently, there are several thousand men and women on death row in the United States. Courts are becoming reluctant to delay executions, and the U.S. Supreme Court has settled most of the key constitutional issues in death penalty cases. In a major change in public opinion from 30 years ago, most Americans now favor capital punishment, although not dogmatically. When people are presented with stringent alternatives (such as life in prison without parole), support for the death penalty drops considerably.
...the government continues to use capital punishment as a tool of deterrence.
The public is not alone. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1972 that executions are not inherently "cruel and unusual punishment." Courts have spent the last two decades determining how states can conduct death penalty proceedings constitutionally, and legislatures have been quick to modify state procedures to accommodate the courts' rulings. Prosecutors and judges have increasingly sought and imposed the death penalty. Many people are torn in their thoughts on this. The sanctity of human life comes into consideration, as do the possibilities of deterrence and false convictions.
Justice Fellowship calls for careful thought and study about this contentious issue.
Christians are typically divided on this issue. Some emphasize the Old Testament, particularly the books of the Law. Others focus on the words and actions of Jesus, or on the absence of explicit teaching on the subject in the New Testament. Still others explore practical issues concerning the death penalty, such as deterrence or the possibility of erroneous conviction. This is a difficult issue, but clearly a pressing one seeing the number of people on death row and the serious nature of the debate. The processes of thought and dialogue are paramount.
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