CCEA Religion- Capital Punishment

Where is it legal?

China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, many states in the Usa

When was the last execution in NI?

1961, at Crumlim Gaol

Jesus’s teachings

‘if any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone’

Wilcockson quote

the CC will not exclude capital punishment because it ‘would weaken the Church’s view of war and the possibility of killing the wicked in this context’

US Wesleyan Church (roots in methodism)

‘should be revered for those crimes committed in serious circumstances which are clearly defined by law and administered by justice’

Sister Helen Prejan

wrote a book ‘dead man walking’ / outlined her experiences as a spiritual advisor to death row inmate Patrick Sonnier / against CP as it violates SOL

United Methodist Church in America

‘declares its opposition to the… use of capital punishment’

Mill

‘he who violates the right of another forfeits it for himself’

Sir James Fitzjames Stephen (victorian lawyer)

‘no other punishment deters men so effectively from committing crimes as the punishment of death’

Kennedy

‘in the united states, the states that do not have the death penalty have lower murder rates than the states that do’

John Wayne Gacy

killed + SAd 33+ young men

Ted Bundy

had at least 30 victims

Capital punishment = discriminatory

USA: 72.4% W pop and 12.6% B pop, yet 55% W executed and 34.5% B pop executed

Amnesty international

‘ultimate, irreversible denial of human rights’

Derek Bentley

executed for shooting a police officer- however it was his younger counterpart that shot him

Amnesty International Stat

since 1990, AI has decided at least 176 executions of people below aged 18