I had a very unusual conversation over the Christmas holiday. While everyone else was talking about peace on earth and the birth of the Messiah, I found myself sitting in the midst of a debate over capital punishment. That's right...the death penalty. (Great Christmas conversation, right?) Well, there were three views presented on the subject: unashamedly for it, regrettably for it, and opposed to it. I remained silent in the conversation, something I am trying more and more to do so that I can get into less and less trouble. As I remained silent, listening to those around me, my Christian faith was affirmed in a real way. Here's what I mean.
One of the people involved in the discussion works on a regular basis with those who are sick, hurting and dying. The one that was involved with seeing people die on a regular basis was the one that was most adamantly for the death penalty. The person's position was first offered as follows: why should someone who has committed such a hideous crime walk away and why should I pay $30,000 a year to keep someone on death row while the people who built this country can'’t get enough money from social security to live on? Point well taken. (Perhaps cutting the tax cuts for the rich would be a good place to start). My point is this; the one that understood the horrors of what humans can do to each other is the one that desires the greatest amount of retribution. On the flip side, this person is the one at the table, in that moment, who would be in the best position to understand the grace of God. How can we let someone live that has brutally murdered someone? Well...God apparently gave up God's own life so that this could happen. Could we offer up ourselves in order to spare the life of someone who has done such a horrible deed as brutally killing someone? I think somewhere in this question, not necessarily in the answer but in the question, is the kingdom of God. I have not come to a clear answer on the capital punishment issue, nor do I think that I will ever. As of right now, I have to say that I cannot accept the death of anyone whose life could be spared. As I have already stated, I don't think that the answer is the issue. I think the answer comes each time I look into the eyes of a hardened criminal or someone who commits injustice. What is the difference between us? Why am I not the one behind bars? Did God'’s love and grace reach more to me than him or her? Or does God'’s love and grace reach more to them? The Kingdom of God rests in such questions and teaches us the radical nature of God'’s love, grace, mercy and forgiveness. I will be happy to rest in the questions right now because I don'’t think that I, nor anyone else for that matter, would be able to stand the correct answer.
7 comments:
maybe this an issue where the church stands beside culture, not in it.
if we are "pro-life" how do we advocate death, in any circumstance.
as a citizen of a nation with a crime problem, i can see the value of offering a strong deterrent for certain crimes.
I don't have a definite death penalty opinion either... I can see good arguments on both sides, but can't come up with any of my own.
As for taxes, I don't get why tax cuts for anyone is bad. Should we tax the rich more, just because they have more money?
Usually the "tax cuts for the rich" comment is a political backwash that people get from watching too much cnn. ;) I'm not sure if Jesus has a tax or economic policy.
In general, rich people know how to spend money more wisely than poor people. The economy is usually helped when rich people have lots of money because they invest it in the stock market, banks, small business and real estate. Rich people also give a lot more money to charities than poor people (really). They invest in the community through schools, churches and civic programs.
Poor people often buy a bunch of junk they don't need. There are tons of stories around Tyler about the things evacuees spent there FEMA checks on. My favorite was breast implants and fun at the strip club. You've lost everything you owned (or rented at an obscene interest rate), you get a break with a $2000 check and you decide to get breast implants or pay to look at someone else who got them.
That's why economist base their theories on how the rich (upper and middle class) spend their money.
I was simply upset that I am one of those incredibly rich youth ministers that keeps getting taxed so much. Once I passed the 5 million a year mark, they started taking more of my money;)
PS I just left a comment on my own blog. I'm not sure how I feel about that.
PPS I listen to public radio, not CNN! (seriously)
I think it's ok to leave a comment on your own blog.
Public radio is ok, just not cnn or foxnews. I'm a Chris Matthews Hardball fan myself.
I just starting making over a million as a pastor so I'm not getting hit too hard yet.
Haha... I'm one of those poor Sporting Good's store cashiers who pays a lot in taxes in each paycheck, and then the government just gives it back to me.
a few comments.
@mike. strip clubs and breast implants = investment in future work. not only were did they learn the skills of the trade they made themselves more marketable.
@brandon. being in your situation, i would not have taxes withheld. why give it to the goverment to draw your interest if you know that you are getting it all back. it may take a little work, but dont withhold until you know that you have crossed that line. and even then just put the money to the side in an interest bearing account until 4/15 rolls around.
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