Heather Beaudoin, National Advocacy Coordinator with Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty, wrote a piece for Shared Justice today. The article described how and why many young Christians are now speaking out against the death penalty. The article stated,
“The more exposure there is to the issue, to the simple facts about this flawed system, and people are stunned,” Justin Phillips said. “Theological interpretations can be argued endlessly, but the realities of the death penalty are beyond dispute and provide stubborn testimony for the necessity of its repeal.”
It’s no wonder that even many Christians who support the death penalty have become uneasy with the system. Along with recent reports of botched executions and the risk of killing innocent people, their eyes have been opened to how the decades-long process hurts victims’ families and the racial disparities incumbent with the death penalty.