Death penalty should be abolished in Pennsylvania
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I was disappointed to read that state Rep. Ryan Warner has introduced House Bill 1909, legislation that proposes expanding the option of a death sentence in Pennsylvania.
As a Christian and a United Methodist pastor, my faith convicts me to oppose the death penalty for any reason, and I unequivocally support the opposition bill already proposed by state Rep. Christopher M. Rabb, which would repeal the death penalty in Pennsylvania. Furthermore, I appreciate Gov. Josh Shapiro’s commitment to continue the moratorium on carrying out death sentences until the death penalty is abolished entirely in our state.
Warner is correct in stating that “sexual crimes committed against innocent children cause an unimaginable level of trauma from which no one can fully recover” and “we must do all we can to protect our children from this sort of evil.” Indeed, these are horrific and traumatic crimes that devalue the dignity and worth of every human life and require strong legal protections for the innocent and consequences for the guilty.
However, carrying out state executions only furthers the devaluing of human life. In the biblical passage known commonly as the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus speaks out against the concept of retributive justice – “an eye for an eye” – instead arguing for restorative systems of justice in which the life of the accused continues to have inherent value.
Taking human life for any reason, including capital punishment, is in direct opposition to the Christian concept of the consistent ethic of life. This concept is based on the premise that all human life is sacred and should be protected by law. Furthermore, in my own United Methodist tradition, our Social Principles “oppose the death penalty (capital punishment) and urge its elimination from all criminal codes.”
As a Christian and pastor, I urge all who believe in the inherent dignity and worth of each human life to oppose House Bill 1909 and support the complete abolishment of execution as a sentencing option in Pennsylvania.
The Rev. Erik Hoeke
Washington