That's the title of an essay by Kendra McKinney posted at the United Methodist Church's United Board of Church & Society website. LINK Here are two brief excerpts. The post also references the documentary, "At the Death House Door."
By taking another’s life, what message do we send about the value of life?
When I think about the death penalty and everything that surrounds it, I am reminded of the Genesis story of Cain and Abel. Out of anger, Cain murders his brother, Abel. After this fatal act, God asks Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And Cain answers, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?”
I ask a similar question today: Have we kept our brothers, our sisters?
By allowing the death penalty in our judicial system, are we doing our best in being responsible for those in our community? Are we holding them to be accountable in such a way that fosters life enhancement and spiritual and physical rehabilitation? I say no.
And:
My question is before you: Will we keep our brothers, our sisters? It still remains to be answered.
If we do not keep them, they will not be kept. Will we seek to abolish a system that disables humans from being reconciled unto God and achieving rehabilitation?
The United Methodist Church places a high value on life. It is sacred. The denomination’s Social Principles states: 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. (¶164 [G]).
As a faith community we must educate ourselves and join in the movement to reclaim the sacredness of life.
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