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The Purpose of Punishment
We want punishment to communicate what it can’t. It’s bad at telling us what not to do and fails to tell us what to do. Punishment isn’t the point. The purpose of punishment is to communicate our intolerance of certain behaviors. It is not about feeling good exorcising our demons stealing the dignity of others…
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How We Balance Life and Death On One Word
The Supreme Court has let us off the hook again. I don’t really think we’re cruel people. But the evidence again proves me wrong. The Supreme Court, in its 8-1 decision in Kansas v. Carr did not rule on a landmark Death Penalty case. It is only landmark for those three persons on death row who…
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For Proclaiming the Gospel, Context is Everything
Between the Lectionary and the world, we’re getting hit with fireballs: the kind of truth that burns and purifies, leaving us naked and lost. I know I wasn’t the only one on Sunday, talking about Jesus in the Temple. A story often referred to as a “cleansing” of the Temple, but more to the point,…
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Christianity, the state, and the rising urge to kill someone
Over the last week or so, some really good Christians have written about the death penalty from a Christian perspective. It has been in the public consciousness for the last few weeks. I gave my own response recently. But in the responses, a curious thing happened. There was what has to be this moment of…
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Losing our morality in the death penalty
We are responsible. This isn’t about someone else. It is about us. We haven’t been doing enough. Last week, when confronted with the fact that he sent 234 inmates to their execution, including an innocent man, Texas Governor Rick Perry appeared jubilant and remorseless–and the Tea Party-filled crowd cheered. As I tweeted, I had visions…