Capstone Essay: Dead Man Walking
Most people today support the death penalty because they feel that it is a fair punishment for those who have been convicted of murder, and they see punishment as a form of revenge as in « an eye for an eye », and they feel that a jail sentence is not suitable punishment because there is always the chance that the sentence might be shortened for some reason or another, or that the prisoner will end up leading a life of luxury behind bars. Those who oppose the death penalty seem to understand the meaning of a verse that is found in The Bible : « In John 8, Jesus is confronted with a woman facing execution. She is guilty, and her execution is legal. When asked what to do with her, Jesus resoponds, ‘ Let anyone who is without sin cast the first stone.’ Jesus’ primary concern is not if this woman desserves to die, but if those holding the stones deserved to kill her. Jesus reminds us in this story that the death penalty actually says less about those who commit heinous crimes, and more about us. We are the ones holding th stones, confronted with how we will respond to someone who commits an act that offends our conscience and sparks our outrage. In the wake of murder, there is naturally horror, fear, and anger. » (Rector, Stacey) Opponents simply believe it is wrong to take a human life, wrong to judge someone, and wrong to take it upon ourselves to punish them for what they do and have done in their life. A spiritual advisor is a person who may be a priest or a religious lay person who has been trained to guide another in their spiritual journey. Death row inmates have strict regulations about who can visit them and when. They are allowed very few personal visits a month, however a spiritual advisor can visit them once a week, and these visits won't count against the regular personal visits. To become a death row spiritual advisor, one must have religious credentials or be ordained in a faith. In order to visit the...