CLEVELAND, June 8, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- The following is being issued by United Church of Christ:
Timothy McVeigh may have abandoned his appeal for a stay of execution, however, the United Church of Christ (UCC) has issued the following statement today that the UCC will not abandon its opposition to the death penalty -- even for persons who commit the most heinous crimes.
The April 1995 bombing of the Murray Federal Office Building in Oklahoma City was a horrible act of mass violence against a community and a nation. We listened to the stories of the survivors of this tragedy and the family members of its victims, many of them members of the United Church of Christ (UCC). We saw the senseless devastation of life and property. We continue to feel and grieve a pain that words cannot express as we mourn the loss of 168 lives, the loss of love and promise, dreams and hopes.
Before us lie two paths: One of vengeance and continued destruction; the other of mercy and healing. The path to healing is a long and difficult path challenging our hearts and minds.
On June 11th, the man convicted of this horrific and evil act, Timothy McVeigh, is scheduled for execution. This will be the first federal execution in more than 30 years. Though we uphold the need to hold individuals accountable for their actions and the pain they might cause, we believe the teachings of Christ compel us to oppose the practice of state-sanctioned executions -- even when the act is so evil that we innately resist Christ's call.
In 1999, the UCC General Synod reaffirmed the call for a death penalty moratorium, a call rooted in our faith as an Easter people: "Scripture repeatedly calls us to overcome evil with good and to transform hatred with love ... the good news of Easter celebrates the triumph of life over evil and reminds us of the promise of redemption held out to all creation ... the death penalty disregards the power of God's grace and sovereignty in human life which offers the possibility of transforming individuals and circumstances deemed 'irredeemable' by human judgment... ."
Members of the United Church of Christ in the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference have been affected by this tragedy in a profound way. They are ministering to victim families and working to bring about reconciliation and healing to a broken community. Many have been led to oppose the death penalty:
"Certainly if anyone 'deserved' to be put death, the one who caused the death of 168 people and the tragic circumstances that followed that bombing would qualify. But even here, I cannot condone his execution. Timothy McVeigh will go to his death still clinging to his conviction that his awful act was justified by what he believes happened earlier in Waco, Texas. Many of the survivors and family members call for his death, lobby to watch his execution and believe that when he dies ... 'closure' will be accomplished. I sincerely doubt that the peace long sought by these victims will come to pass through his death. As Easter people we ought to place our emphasis on reclamation and resurrection, not retribution and revenge." (Kansas-Oklahoma Conference Minister Rev. John H. Krieger)
"We believe that the state loses its moral authority when it kills -- period. If we reserve (the death penalty) for a few of the most heinous criminals, then juries are still deciding who deserves to live or die, and that isn't our moral 'jurisdiction.' Punishing life by taking it does not break the cycle of violence, but only adds to it. Jesus spoke to this directly in the Sermon on the Mount." (Rev. Robin Meyers, Mayflower Congregational UCC, Oklahoma City, OK)
The death penalty ultimately diminishes all of us. We cannot restore lives lost by taking another life. State-sanctioned killing only compounds the violence and places vengeance over healing. Capital punishment sends a dangerous message to our children -- that violence is the way to right a wrong. We join with those who urge our society to focus not on vengeance, but on healing the pain of families and communities shattered by violence and honoring victims of violence.
We embrace the vision lifted up by Murder Victim Families for Reconciliation, a national organization of people who have lost a family member to homicide and oppose the death penalty: "... we remain committed to ending capital punishment and to focusing on supporting programs that prevent crime and promote healing for victims. Seeking the death penalty has cost millions of taxpayer dollars; we wish that money could have gone to victims counseling, scholarships for kids who have lost parents to murder, compensation funds to aid victims, anti-hate crime education programs in schools and to the upkeep of the memorial in Oklahoma City so that we will always remember the names of those who were killed and not the name of the killer."
In the focus on Timothy McVeigh, it is important that we not forget the many problems concerning other death row cases. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, of the 711 people executed since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, 44 percent are people of color. There is substantial evidence that the administration of the death penalty is profoundly biased on the basis of race, socioeconomic status and geography, according to a study released last December by the U.S. Department of Justice. While Timothy McVeigh had access to a wealth of legal counsel, far too many death row inmates receive incompetent legal representation. Also, genetic testing continues to prove the innocence of many death row inmates.
As people of faith, our call is to pursue justice and love mercy, not vengeance. In this challenging and painful hour, we look to the transforming power of God's grace. We call for an end to the cycle of violence that is perpetuated by state-sanctioned killing. In the face of this great violence and the devaluation of human life, let us press on to answer the higher call of God.
Signed by the following UCC leaders:
Rev. John H. Thomas, General Minister & President
Bernice Powell Jackson, Exec. Minister for Justice & Witness
Ministries & Collegium Officer
Rev. John H. Krieger, Conference Minister
The General Synod of The United Church of Christ (UCC) meets every two years to study and take official stands on many pressing social issues. Composed of representatives from local churches and the various levels of church government, the General Synod of the UCC speaks to its 1.4 million members and 6,000 congregations. Its congregations and members are free to accept or reject its positions.
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CONTACT: United Church of Christ, Cleveland
Ron Buford, PR Manager
(216) 736-2180
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