We attempt to base our lives on respect for that Spirit of God that dwells in each person. Killing, as a form of punishment, is not in accord with this respect. The death penalty magnifies the tragedy of a lost life by killing again, ignoring the human capacity for change, quenching forever the possibility of redemption and renewed contribution. Any corporate action of the state overrides the dissent of citizens who object to having their citizenship lent to this purpose. Our opposition to capital punishment, however, is grounded in faith and conscience.
Vengeance becomes an acceptable response when people have been harmed by others.
Attention and energy is focused away from healing and help for victims, for offenders, and for families and communities affected by crime. Although always represented as an action of the state, capital punishment is a delegated action that requires specific state employees to kill a human being, and to do so at a moral and psychological peril to themselves that neither they nor the state can calculate in advance. We encourage those who are concerned about the safety of our communities to join in seeking a society that does not promote violence. We believe that in our own lives lie the roots of violence and the seeds of harmony. We believe that, together, we can discover a vision of community that nourishes the healthy potential of each person.