The use of the death penalty, especially in Texas, seems to perpetuate violence more than it serves to limit it. The state has a responsibility to exercise the death penalty only when failure to do so constitutes a clear danger to society. We are executing people who committed crimes while in their youth. We do not consider seriously enough the mental state of the perpetrator. Equally grievous is the fact that most people on death row come out of poverty and belong to minorities.
Economic conditions appear to be related to the rate of violent crime.
There is no proof that capital punishment reduces crime. The question of justice rises with particular poignancy among those devoted to Jesus Christ, a man who was executed in spite of his innocence. After numerous trials of the rich and famous, most Americans recognize that good legal representation is beyond the reach of the poor. Many church bodies have already spoken out against the use of the death penalty including the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The ELCA statement was adopted on a churchwide basis in 1991.