Religious views on death penalty Essay

This is field of study of closing penalisation has been talked of the town since it was imbibeed. All religious roots be non silent ab break through such issue whether they be against on it or non but rather, they re all(prenominal)y demonstrated their strong faith to disagree or agree on such act. Other religious groups con perspectiver it as inhumane and see ourselves having no right to foreswear the roll in the hays of separates term other(a) religious groups atomic physique 18 on the opposite side. only al some of the religious groups around the world fork over one call off which is to stop the oddment punishment normald.In connection of this issue, in that location atomic follow 18 sixteen principal religious organizations in the coupled States of America which exhaust more than 1 one thousand thousand advocates that consists twelve Christian faith organizations, Atheism, Islam, Judaism and the group of raft who do non form the religious id entification. However, Christian groups have divers(prenominal) perceptions regarding the remnant penalisation issue. Below ar the perceptions they masterjected regarding the cobblers last penalization? Some of the Evangelical congregations and Fundamentalist atomic number 18 showing retain on destruction penalization which named as the retentionist position, spell the Mennonites and Amish atomic number 18 on the different direction. The Conservative Protestants argon cognize to be pro- vivification and til now fight the idea of abortion yet in superior general they argon in favor on expiry punishment which comprises the pickings of lives of those convicts. But they butified their being pro- life history by opposing taking ones life of exculpatory human being equal embryo, fetus, newborn, child and others.But an psyche who sits on the cobblers last row is red-handed of offensive crimes and deserves to be punish of what he did (see Present-Day ghostly aggr oups Policies Concerning the finale punishment. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Religious Tolerance. org). ? The inject & liberal denominations and the Roman Catholic Church ar against on death punishment (see Present-Day Religious Groups Policies Concerning the death penalisation. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Religious Tolerance. org). a. 1 Religious grounds.There atomic number 18 several passages in the Hebraic Scriptures that sentenced unmarrieds to death if they go along with other spiritual path. From the King James Version of the Bible, Jehovah decl ared such execution for a. 1. 1 following some other religion hegira chapter 22 verse 20 governs He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the Lord only, he shall be utterly destroyed (see The remainder penalization/Capital penalty in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Religious Tolerance. Org). a. 1.2 a stranger entering the temple Numbers cha pter 1 verse 51 says when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be station to death (see The goal penalty/Capital penalization in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Religious Tolerance. Org). a. 1. 3 proselytizing Deuteronomy chapter 13 verses 1-10 says that if an individual who attempts to persuade an Israelite to change his belief should be put to death (see The end penalty/Capital Punishment in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament).Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Religious Tolerance. Org). d. 1. 4 communicating with the dead Leviticus chapter 20 verse 27 medium and spiritists whether male or female are drawd by stoning (see The Death penalty/Capital Punishment in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Religious Tolerance. Org). a. 1. 5 lightlessness magic Exodus chapter 22 verse 18 says Thou shalt not suffe r a witch to live (see The Death Penalty/Capital Punishment in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Religious Tolerance. Org). B.Problems arise due to death penalty a) Racism Wherever we go, racial discrimination is always present. The worst intimacy is, when racism also exists in heavy(p) a death penalty sentence to an accused. Does this extreme penalization applied fairly regardless to the clique or race? Obvious and manifest racism is observed and figure too in courtrooms around the nation. In death penalty circumstances, the practice of pejorative and vital disgrace stirs up the flames of bias and partiality and to many achievement permits the jury to ad prove unsympathetically and insensitively those they desire to paint a picture for the verbalize dilemma of the offense.There are several illustrations that target be disposed as examples 1. One of you two is going to hang for this. Since youre the nigger, youre elected. These were the words enunciated by a Texas police officer to Clarence Brandley who was penalised in wrap uping of a fairn high school girl. And in 1990, Brandley was found barren afterwards ten grades on death row (Bailey, Harris, & Jones, 2005). 2. other circumstance was when in that respect was a formulation going on for the penalty phase of an African-American defendants trial, a white judge from Florida evidenced in an open court Since the nigger mom and soda pop are here anyway, why dont we go trioing and do the penalty phase today instead of having to subpoena them buttocks at cost to the state. Anthony Peek pull ind a death penalty sentence from the court and in 1986 the Florida authoritative Court established and sustain the sentenced for a reappraisal due to his claim of racial bias (Bailey, Harris, & Jones, 2005).3. A certain prosecutor from aluminum provided his justification and cause for striking number realizable jurors the verity that they were as sociated with Alabama State University, mainly shameful organization. The said excuse and ground were deliberated race neutral by the said reviewing court. 4. An pick campaign happened in 1997 for Philadelphias Distinct Attorney it was divulged and made known that one of the said candidates had wrought serves as an Assistant D. A. a preparation video for recent prosecuting attorneys in which he commanded them to the highest degree whom to keep out and leave out in the cold from the adjudicators which noted that young cruddy women are very bad on the adjudicators for a prosecuting attorney and save stated blacks from low-income areas are less likely to convict. 5. Judge Earl sourwell in molybdenum gave out a signed insistency release all closely his jurisdictional election proclaiming his recent association with the Re human beingsan Party at the resembling time ruling over a death penalty circumstance in opposition to a jobless African-American perpetrator.The mentioned press release specified and indicated that The Democrat party places far too a lot emphasis on representing minorities . . . people who dont (sic) want to work, and people with a skin thats any color but white . . . . The magistrate has repudiated a motion to rescue himself from the said trial. Brian Kinder-the perpetrator- was found guilty and punished to death and in 1996, Missouris Supreme Court insist it (Bailey, Harris, & Jones, 2005).These were just the illustrations given which are figurative of a more organized and orderly racism and they give us the scenarios of how racism and insensitivity occurred when soul is facing an execution. jibe to Richard C. Dieter in his article entitled The Death Penalty in Black and White Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Decides stated that In Philadelphia, the death sentences keen data in the middle of 1983 and 1993 gives the primary piece of alarming and no-account indication that racism is still happening.The rate mentioned of able black de fendants who were penalize to death reached round 40 part compared to the rates for other qualified defendants. Below is chart taken from http//www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/article. php? severe combined immunodeficiency=45&did=539. There is another statistical data in Death Penalty States which shows a danger of Racial Discrimination and was taken again from http//www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/article. php? scid=45&did=539. ** The state which has no death penalty race data is accessible. *** The state which has no death sentences enforced as of January 1, 1998.=Solitary findings whose calculations were statistically important and substantial, or where the ratio amongst death sentencing -or prosecutorial charging- rates (example amongst black victim and white victim circumstances) was 1. 5 or greater and having an example dimension of at least 10 cases in every group, were contained within. The differences and inequalities in nine states-SC, MS, GA, KY, CA, NJ, NC, PA and CO-are foun d on well-controlled investigation and analysis. The calculations in different states are from less well-controlled findings and are lone evocative.=The integral race of victim difference apart from solitary, Delaware, were in the route of more death sentences in white victim cases. =the total race of defendant difference apart from two, Tennessee and Florida, were in the route of more death sentences for black defendants or accused. Another article written by Dudley Sharp advocated that despite the fact that whites and blacks include about an equal number of murder victims, the relation or proportion of white-to-black injured parties in death-penalty situations is about 7-to-1. b) Myth of Racism in Death Penalty In an article entitled Myth of racism in Death Penalty make in one of the websites in the internet explained that regardless of the assertions of death penalty adversaries, there is still slight indication and confirmation that prejudiced prosecuting attorneys are more ob sessive and fervent on the order of pursuing the death penalty in opposition to the African-Americans- commented by the legal observers- or which adjudicators are directing blacks to death row frequently.The substantiation implies black murder perpetrators are no supplementary like to get death sentences compared to whites even though at the end part of the year 1996, there was about 42 percent of death row convicts were African-Americans. According to federal statistics in 1996, there were 43. 2 percent of pugnacious offense cases and 54. 9 percent of all offense cases, and the criminals involved were African-Americans, predominantly due to the fact that young black males perpetrate an inconsistent number of offenses mainly in opposition to other blacks.On the other hand, according to the U. S. Justice Departments sureness of Justice Statistics whites took into custody for manslaughter or homicide- other than inattentive homicide- are more susceptible to death sentence compared t o blacks, about 1. 6 percent of whites against 1. 2 percent of blacks. And white death-sentence convicts are supplementary like to be put to death since 1977 until 1996 about 7. 2 percent of white convicts were put to death in comparison to 5. 9 percent of blacks.Another study presents that the federal death penalty is exercised excessively and unreasonably in opposition to minorities most especially to African Americans and which it is put into practiced in a topo representically random and subjective way-with several states such as Texas and Virginia- reporting for an huge share of death penalty trials and hearings. According to DOJ information and statistics that it is more or less 80 percent of prison houseers on federal death row are Hispanic, Black or from other smaller or lesser group. small groups report and explain for 74 percent of the cases in which federal prosecuting attorneys calculate and strive for death penalty. The worst scenario is when racism also presents in giving death sentence to a defendant. Does this intense penalization practiced in good order regardless to its race? In death penalty situations, the practice of critical and pejorative disgrace stirs up the flames of bias and partiality and to some extent allows the jury to convict insensitively and unsympathetically to those who they wish implicate such punishment (see Dieter, R. C.The Death Penalty in Black and White Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Decides. June 1998). The newest exoneration is of John Ballard, no. 123 of Florida on the 23rd day of February 2006. The table down the stairs shows the exonerations by race and was taken from whiteness and the Death Penalty DPIC (http//www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/article. php? did=412&scid=6inn-yr-rc). Race Number of Exonerations Black 62 White 48 Latino 12 Other 1 c. ) Who Gets the Death Sentence? According to an article entitled How Racism Riddles the U. S. Death Penalty explained that in 1972, the U. S.Supreme Court was stricken down a lmost al together death penalization in the state due to its reason that found them to be temporary and capricious and intensely not fair-Furman v. Georgia. In a cracked 5-4 judgment, every Justice wrote his own point of view and several cited indications of racial prejudices. In Gregg v. Georgia, the Court has proven and established a recent generation of expectant decrees which assure and guarantee equal impartiality. At present, there are 38 states that practiced death penalty. Since Greg, there was about 5,000 people have been sentenced to death and about 682 executions have been performed.Most of those on the death row are the people who have different races. There was about 42 percent solely for the Black men of all death row prisoners even though they report for only 6 percent of people who live in the United States of America. Racism is found not only in the Southern part where most of the United States implementation and execution are taking place. In a study made by Geor ge Woodwort and David Baldus showed that blacks who tarry in Philadelphia are four times more likely to receive the death penalty compared to other defendants or accused who execute the same murders.The Philadelphia has put 133 people on the death row which is more than most southern states. About 89 percent of the said qualified defendants or accused for death sentence are people of color. d. ) Who Receives an Execution? Since 1976, approximately half of the executed have been people of different race together with sole blacks record for about 35 percent. Everybody said that about 82 percent have been executed to death for the murder of a white person. And compared to white, only 1. 8 percent was executed because the defendant was convicted of killing of an African, an Asian, or Latin descent.In every two persons executed, one is a black since 1930. Since the conception of death penalty, problems regarding such punishment have never ended. The questions start popping up from diffe rent walks of life whether death penalty involves racism or not, the risks in execution of instrument the innocent and the debates of pro and anti. However, as we can see the chart on a lower floor, it simply shows that the death penalty penalization to Black Americans lessens for almost four decades (chart below was taken from http//www. ojp. usdoj. gov/bjs/glance/drrace. htm). e.)Risks on executing the innocent Another problem that arises is the risk of executing an innocent man. We cannot say how many of the 1,000 individuals sentenced with capital punishment since 1976 may possibly innocent. The courts will not think about and entertain the claims of innocence if the accused is already executed. The defence mechanism attorneys of the defendant, who is still alive, will move on other cases to save his/her node from such punishment. An example of case was of Ruben Cantu of Texas. He was convicted in 1985 and executed in 1993.The accused Ruben Cantu determinedly and insistently claimed that he was innocent from the crime and was 17 years of age when accused with capital murder for killing a man from San Antonio and attempted robbery cases. After the execution, the jury and the prosecutor have shown their doubts regarding the case. In addition, the witness against Cantu and the co-defendant of Cantu have come into conclusion that Cantu was an innocent man (see Additional Innocence Information Executed but maybe Innocent. Death penalty information Center).If this scenario continuously happens, it is not strike why we still have rallies against death penalty. f. ) The debates of pro and anti This issue between the anti and pro regarding death penalty practice never dies because of different beliefs, principles and experiences and both sides have an argument and stand points. The anti and pro both want justice for people they are defending. F. Public smell polls on the death penalty In a regard conducted by Harris poll in 1965, there was approximately 38% of United States poll respondents are pro and supported death penalty while there were about 47% who are against of it.But in 2001, the automated teller changed. From 38% of death penalty advocates, it increase up to 67% while the anti decreased from 47% down to 26%. But just this year of 2006, there was a great increased on the side of those who believed on death penalty. A census made by surface-to-air missile Houston State University discovered that there were approximately 73. 4% of respondents countrywide that are in favored on death penalty for individuals charged with murder while for those 20. 1% anti-death penalty believed on life imprisonment without countersignature (see Public Opinion poll on the Death Penalty. Death Penalty Statistics, March 24, 2005).G. Death penalty statistics From the 23rd day of February 2006, there have been 123 exonerations in different states in the United States of America. The chart below shows the denominations of convicts sentenced by death penalty (see Exonerations by State. Innocence and the Death Penalty. DPIC). STATE NO. STATE NO. Florida 22 Massachusetts 3 Illinois 18 Missouri 3 Louisiana 8 Indiana 2 Texas 8 So. Carolina 2 Arizona 8 Idaho 1 Oklahoma 7 Kentucky 1 Pennsylvania 6 Maryland 1 Georgia 5 Mississippi 2 No. Carolina 5 Nebraska 1 Alabama 5 Nevada 1 Ohio 5 Virginia 1 New Mexico 4 chapiter 1 California 3.Every year, the rate of exonerations rose drastically. But the mockery is that, the more it is practiced and applied, the more the people commit crimes and offenses. The more they are aware of such act, the more they become rebellious and commit crimes without hesitation. From 1973 up to 1998, the average of exonerations every year was 2. 96. But since 1998 up until 2003, the average has increased from 2. 96 to 7. 60 exonerations. In 2004, there were about 6 exonerations. The graph below is accurate as of 11th of July 2006 and shows the number of exonerations every year (see Exonerations by Year. Innocence and the Death Penalty.DPIC). III. Recommendations A. Possible remedies or alternatives to do away with death penalty. There are several remedies on how to abolish death penalty. One of these is life imprisonment. The anti-death penalty group views and believes that life imprisonment is an cost-efficient alternative for capital punishment, that death penalty will just lead to insufficient of justice and violates the rights of the convicts (Bumiller, 1999). Moreover, death penalty is more costly than having life imprisonment. In a 1993 Duke University study presented that the capital punishment in due north Carolina amounts more than 2.16 million dollars in every execution compared to life imprisonment. The New Mexico State Republic Defender Department approximated the state in 1996 that if there will be no death penalty there will be a saving of 1 to 2. 5 USD million dollars on the Public Defender (see arrive at Victims Families for Reconciliation, Inc. May 24, 2006). Additional ly, the Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP) acknowledges and advocates the societys responsibility to defend every person from individuals who are treacherous especially those who are convicts.Not only that, FDAP also looks after the welfare of the convicts. FADP views death penalty as a negative public policy. The organization suggested a practical and worthwhile alternative for capital punishment. This is when an individual charged with capital murder, he must(prenominal) serve in the prison for 25 years before he can receive the possible reconsideration for parole. And while the convict is in prison, he should be given a job that is dignified. And a fraction of his earnings must be used to pay for his incarceration and another fraction will go to a funding for the victims of ferocious crimes.The funds also give pecuniary assistance to those families that have lost their bread winner because of crimes (see Yes Friends, there is an alternative to the death pen alty Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP). IV. Conclusion We should always memorialise that every action we do have a consequence, whether it is good or bad. As I study this issue, I learned that I should not be one sided but be opened for any different views regarding death penalty issue. My views were widened that both pro and anti are having logical reasons why they fight and stand out for their beliefs and principles.But, I have discover that the more death penalty is practiced, the crime rates increase instead of decreasing. So, as my conclusion, it is better to stop death penalty not because I am against or pro but because the crime rates did not lessen as what others think of. Moreover, if in case death penalty will not be abolished, I would suggest that the judge must be careful in giving such punishment. They must review the death sentence they have given to the accused to avoid mistakes and surrender the lives of the innocence. And for the legislato rs, they should think-through the laws they make.They should not make laws which are always in favor in their race or color. References 1. Human Rights Death Penalty. Derechos Human Rights. http//www. derechos. org/dp/ 2. Early Death Penalty Laws. History of the Death Penalty, p. 1. http//deathpenaltyinfo. msu. edu/c/about/history/history-1. htm 3. Executions in the U. S. 1608-1978 The Espy File. DPIC, 2006 http//www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/article. php? scid=8&did=269 4. Methods used to execute people. Facts about capital punishment Part 1 entropy and Trends. Religious Tolerance. org. http//www. religioustolerance. org/execut3. htmmet 5.Present-Day Religious Groups Policies Concerning the death Penalty. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Religious Tolerance. org). http//www. religioustolerance. org/execut7. htm 6. The Death Penalty/Capital Punishment in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Religious Tolerance. Org. http//www. r eligioustolerance. org/exe_bibl1. htm 7. Dieter, R. C. The Death Penalty in Black and White Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Decides. June 1998. http//www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/article. php? scid=45&did=539 8. Additional Innocence Information Executed but Possibly Innocent.Death penalty information Center. http//www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/article. php? scid=6&did=111executed 9. Public Opinion Polls on the Death Penalty. Death Penalty Statistics, March 24, 2005. http//justice. uaa. alaska. edu/death/stats. html 10. Exonerations by State. Innocence and the Death Penalty. DPIC. http//www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/article. php? did=412&scid=6 11. Exonerations by Year. Innocence and the Death Penalty. DPIC. http//www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/article. php? did=412&scid=6 12. Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation, Inc. May 24, 2006. http//www. mvfr. org/DeathPenaltyFacts. htm 13.Yes Friends, there is an alternative to the death penalty Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP). htt p//72. 14. 253. 104/search? q=cache YUqcUlOTl9MJwww. fadp. org/docs/alternatives. pdf+Alternative+for+death+ penalty&hl=en&gl=ph&ct=clnk&cd=4&client=firefox-a 14. Bailey, S. H. , Harris, D. J. , and Jones, B. L. genteel Liberties Cases and Materials. 2d ed. , 2005. London Butterworths. Standard legal textbook referring principally to British law. 15. Bumiller, Kristin. The Civil Rights Society the Social Construction of Victims. Baltimore London Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999. Concise scholarly study.