Evangelicals, Texas and the Death Penalty
It appears that Texas' prolific use of the death penalty -- this month will, according to a recent report, mark the 400th death person executed since the death penalty was re-instituted in 1982. That's far and away a larger number than any other state.
What is interesting is that Texas' conservative religious ethos helps contribute to this love for executions. There is an intense interest in "OT justice." All of this is quite interesting since Evangelicals are supposed to be NT kind of people, but when it comes to executions and sex modern American Evangelicals love the OT. Both the current and the former governors are "born again" Christians who have shown no mercy. For more on this check out this article. For a very pointed response check out the post by Michael Westmoreland-White. Michael is a very strong pacifist and that comes out in this response.
To throw another wrench into this issue, word has come out that our embattled and ethically-challenged Attorney General (a former Chief Justice in the state of Texas and all around GW crony) is working on a way to seize control of the nation's death penalty appeals process. Apparently in that wonderful Patriot Act is a little known clause that will permit the AG to make final decisions on death penalty appeals -- so as to streamline the process and get those execution chambers busy. The article in the LA Times today puts it this way:
And with this little bit of lee way, Alberto Gonzalez is busy as a bee -- likely with a whole lot of good Christian support. But, whenever I think of the death penalty -- from a Christian perspective -- I think of Jesus who himself died at the hand of an imperial executioner. That one fact should give any Christian, including Jesus loving Evangelicals, pause! Are we who have been forgiven called to forgive? Isn't that the Gospel message? Executions don't seem to fit with this message.
What is interesting is that Texas' conservative religious ethos helps contribute to this love for executions. There is an intense interest in "OT justice." All of this is quite interesting since Evangelicals are supposed to be NT kind of people, but when it comes to executions and sex modern American Evangelicals love the OT. Both the current and the former governors are "born again" Christians who have shown no mercy. For more on this check out this article. For a very pointed response check out the post by Michael Westmoreland-White. Michael is a very strong pacifist and that comes out in this response.
To throw another wrench into this issue, word has come out that our embattled and ethically-challenged Attorney General (a former Chief Justice in the state of Texas and all around GW crony) is working on a way to seize control of the nation's death penalty appeals process. Apparently in that wonderful Patriot Act is a little known clause that will permit the AG to make final decisions on death penalty appeals -- so as to streamline the process and get those execution chambers busy. The article in the LA Times today puts it this way:
Frustrated with the pace of changes — and believing that judges were part of the problem — death penalty advocates Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Gold River) and Sen. Jon
Kyl (R-Ariz.) led a successful effort to include language in the Patriot Act last year that let the attorney general, rather than judges, decide whether states were ensuring death row inmates had adequate legal representation.
And with this little bit of lee way, Alberto Gonzalez is busy as a bee -- likely with a whole lot of good Christian support. But, whenever I think of the death penalty -- from a Christian perspective -- I think of Jesus who himself died at the hand of an imperial executioner. That one fact should give any Christian, including Jesus loving Evangelicals, pause! Are we who have been forgiven called to forgive? Isn't that the Gospel message? Executions don't seem to fit with this message.
Comments
The death penalty has always been a issue I have felt strongly about. I feel like there has been a slight shift in recent years in the US away from supporting it, but it hasn't gone far enough, of course.
I wonder whether the courts would uphold that provision in the PATRIOT ACT.