FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 13, 2023
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Red Letter Christians unequivocally stands against all executions. We have, and will continue to, stand with advocates on the frontlines abolishing the death penalty. We stand with the advocates, organizations, and legal counsel on the ground in Oklahoma who are, in good faith, working to save the life of Anthony Sanchez, who is scheduled to be executed on Thursday, September 21, 2023, at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Oklahoma.
Red Letter Christians is opposed to the death penalty because of our belief in the inherent dignity of all human life. We also recognize that our justice system is deeply flawed and that capital punishment often means that “those without the capital get the punishment.”
The facts of each death penalty case do not sway our fervent opposition to state-sanctioned murder. We find ourselves well positioned to condemn the same state-sanctioned violence that killed our Savior, Jesus Christ, because the death penalty has succeeded in America not in spite of Christians, but because of Christians. It is our mission to right this historic wrong and forge a movement of Christians centered on Jesus and justice.
There have been disagreements among our partners on the ground in Oklahoma regarding Anthony’s innocence, which he maintains (listen to Anthony’s voice memo).
Here at Red Letter Christians, we strive to harmonize but not homogenize. We have stood shoulder to shoulder with dedicated partners in the streets and in the pews. We have also disagreed with partners on issues close to our hearts and we’ve chosen to love them and do God’s work with them where we can. We have no expectation that our partners will always agree with us or each other. In fact, we intentionally seek to elevate diverse – sometimes uncomfortable – perspectives for our “co-conspirators” to consider.
God desires to heal the wounds of sin. God wants justice. God cares deeply for the unimaginable pain of those who lost their loved one violently and senselessly. Yet, God’s grace is bigger than sin.
Despite the different approaches our partners have taken recently in Oklahoma, we remain united in our deep care for Anthony Sanchez and in our belief that he should not be put to death. We invite you to join us standing against Anthony’s execution.