[PAA-Discuss] The Texas Death Machine Rages On

Sat Jun 4 08:11:42 EDT 2011

The  following is published on the Chronicle's webpage, by The Peace 
Pastor,  at: _http://blog.chron.com/thepeacepastor/_ 
(http://blog.chron.com/thepeacepastor/) 
Your  comments using the comment mechanism of the blog itself are  
encouraged.
Texas Death Penalty Machine Rages  On

It will be a busy summer in Texas for  executions, again. Living in the 
death penalty capital of the Western World,  this shouldn’t surprise us. 
Gayland Bradford will die for you and your state  today at 6PM, and will be 
followed by 3 others this month. Bradford’s IQ is  68, 2 points below the legal 
level of “mild mental retardation.” In 2002, the  Supreme Court held in 
Atkins v. Virginia  that it is unconstitutional to execute defendants with ‘
mental  retardation.’  2 different courts in Houston are also currently trying  
cases with the death penalty at this time.  By the time summer is over,  we’
ll have executed 474 people since 1976, over 4 ½ times more than the next  
state in the union (Virginia).
We Christians are confused on this for some  reason. On the one hand, Jesus 
message of forgiveness, mercy and nonviolence  was unambiguous and clear. 
On the other hand, some support executions as a  cultural icon.

Here’s an example of the disconnect. This morning  I read an interview with 
_a Christian  preacher_ 
(http://www.sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/michael-duduit-a-preaching-qa-with-david-platt-940.asp?utm_source=newsl
etter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BetterPreachingUpdate)  tying his 
authority to God’s word, “To see that His  Word is good for conforming people to 
 the image of Christ, for going into making radical changes  in their 
lives, only the Word can do that—not my opinions, thoughts or ideas,  but the 
power of the Word, the effect of the Word in that wisdom that is found  in the 
Word (emphasis mine).” Now, let’s keep in mind Jesus said we are to  love 
our enemies, receive forgiveness as we give it, and that when confronted  
with a perfectly legal opportunity to call for the death penalty, Jesus came  
to the rescue of the accused. He also offered absolution to the two 
terrorists  beside him on the cross, then turned to ask God to forgive those who were 
 killing him. So being “conformed into the image of Christ,” one would 
think,  should look similarly.
Apparently, not so. His denomination has this to say  on the issue: God “
has established capital punishment as a just and  appropriate means by which 
the civil magistrate may punish those guilty of  capital crimes.” No mention 
of Jesus was given anywhere in their defense.  Reminds me of a recent poll 
looking at the disconnect between Evangelical  Christians and the teachings 
of Jesus. About the Poll, _Phil Zuckerman_ 
(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/phil-zuckerman/why-evangelicals-hate-jes_b_830237.html)   says:
Evangelical Christians, who most fiercely proclaim to  have a personal 
relationship with Christ, who most confidently declare their  belief that the 
Bible is the inerrant word of God, who go to church on a  regular basis, pray 
daily, listen to Christian music, and place God and His  Only Begotten Son 
at the center of their lives, are simultaneously the very  people most likely 
to reject his teachings and despise his radical message…  Evangelicals are 
the most supportive of the death penalty, draconian  sentencing, punitive 
punishment over rehabilitation, and the governmental use  of torture. Jesus 
exhorted humans to be loving, peaceful, and non-violent. And  yet Evangelicals 
are the group of Americans most supportive of easy-access  weaponry, 
little-to-no regulation of handgun and semi-automatic gun ownership,  not to 
mention the violent military invasion of various countries around the  world.
And so the death penalty machine rages on with the  ironic blessing of 
those who weekly gather to worship Jesus Christ,  executed-now-risen, the Prince 
of Peace. I’m proud _the Mennonite Church  _ 
(http://houstonpeaceandjustice.wordpress.com/death-penalty/) has doesn’t give its blessing. Perhaps if we 
won’t take our  cues from Jesus himself, we could take some cues from Rais 
Bhuiyan, a Muslim  man, who like Jesus was given second life. Mark Stroman, 
out for revenge  against Muslims after 9/11, shot and killed 2 men in North 
Texas  before shooting Bhuiyan in the face. He miraculously survived to 
advocate for  Stroman’s life, against the death penalty, _saying_ 
(http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/dallas/headlines/20110516-bangladesh-immigran
t-seeks-stay-of-execution-for-man-who-shot-him-in-911-revenge-attack.ece?act
ion=reregister)  his  Islamic faith led him to realize “hate doesn’t bring 
any good solution to  people. At some point we have to break the cycle of 
violence. It brings more  disaster.” Stroman is scheduled for execution in 
July.

Perhaps I  shouldn’t be so hard on the church for supporting the death 
penalty. After  all, without trial, against all laws (including our own), we 
executed a man  before the watching world and then celebrated in the streets. 
Choosing  violence is just who we are. American citizens have every right to 
support  violence such as the death penalty. But as Zuckerman says, “it is 
just strange  and contradictory when they claim these positions as somehow “
Christian.” They  aren’t.”

Dear God, we pray  for an end to the  hate and violence that led Gayland 
Bradford and Mark  Stroman to kill, and to us wanting to kill them in return. 
We pray for healing  and hope to flow through the victims’ families, for 
reconciliation and peace  to flow through death row, and for courage to be 
conformed to your image.  AMEN.

Marty Troyer is pastor of _Houston Mennonite  Church_ 
(http://houstonmennonite.org/) . You can join us anytime in Spring Branch or visit us  online at 
_houstonmennonite.org_ (http://houstonmennonite.org/) . Follow Marty on  
_Twitter._ (http://twitter.com/#!/ThePeacePastor/) 

I hope your day is filled with joy! 
Peace,  

Marty  Troyer
Pastor, Houston Mennonite Church
Cell:  (713)835-9436
Church:  (713)464-4865
_www.houstonmennonite.org_ (http://www.houstonmennonite.org/)  
Blogging as The Peace Pastor at _blog.chron.com/thepeacepastor/_ 
(http://blog.chron.com/thepeacepastor/) 

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