The Wrong Debate: On Alabama’s New Gas Chamber
As states grapple with how to resume killing, the only debate seems to be over the method.
Overturn Dylann Roof’s Death Sentence — for Me, Not for Him
Without a death sentence, as I understand, there is just one appeal, after which we never have to hear the killer’s name again.
A Former Confederate State Just Voted To Abolish Its Death Penalty
But it’s worth celebrating Virginia, the “home of the Confederacy,” as the first state in the old Confederate South to abolish the death penalty. The two facts are related, because the death penalty cannot be separated from our history of race and slavery in America.
Is Killing Lisa Montgomery the Best Version of Justice We Have?
None of us is above reproach and none of us is beyond redemption. That is a core truth of the Christian faith. And it is a truth that is undermined every time we execute someone.
Being the Other Voice
Whatever motivated the shouts and signals from so many vehicles, it became clear to me in that moment that even if I knew nothing else about Jesus, I would rather be with the people of peace gathered on that corner than with the angry masses calling for death.
Trusting Systems With the Irreversible Power of Death
One can only hope that executing people is one of the things we don’t want to return to.
When Killing Is the Priority
How does a state that is reportedly 77% Christian choose to carry out the ritualized killing of a likely innocent man in the middle of a pandemic crisis?
Abolish the Death Penalty
If anyone had just cause to kill in self-defense or execute someone for the sake of justice, it was Jesus. Yet . . .
A Reflection on Maundy Thursday
The story that begins on Maundy Thursday is one of betrayal, denial, pain, and sacrifice. Where were you?
Cast No Stones
I am not willing to short-change the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ for our sins.