Baptist Commission Endorses Moratorium on Death Penalty.News Editors/Religion Writers DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 13, 2003 The Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission has joined the call for a moratorium A suspension of activity or an authorized period of delay or waiting. A moratorium is sometimes agreed upon by the interested parties, or it may be authorized or imposed by operation of law. on the death penalty. The moral concerns and public policy agency of the Baptist General Convention of Texas The Baptist General Convention of Texas is the oldest surviving Baptist convention in the state of Texas. Background There were Baptists among the first Anglo-American settlers of Texas, but under Spain (and later Mexico), non-Catholic religious worship was prohibited. voted Jan. 10 to call for a moratorium on capital punishment capital punishment, imposition of a penalty of death by the state. History Capital punishment was widely applied in ancient times; it can be found (c.1750 B.C.) in the Code of Hammurabi. , declaring the system "unfair" and "broken." As part of its public policy agenda for the Texas Legislature The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. The legislature meets at the Texas State Capitol in Austin. In Texas, the Legislature is considered the most powerful branch of state government because of its aggressive use of the power of the purse to , the commission also agreed to support legislation that would allow life without parole as a sentencing option for Texas juries. The commission, underscoring that its role is to speak to Texas Baptists and not for Texas Baptists on moral and ethical issues, also approved an extensive report examining the issue of capital punishment from biblical, historical and social justice perspectives. The report concludes, "In the final analysis, biblical teaching does not support capital punishment as it is practiced in contemporary society." Furthermore, the report states, "The practice of capital punishment in our nation and state is an affront af·front tr.v. af·front·ed, af·front·ing, af·fronts 1. To insult intentionally, especially openly. See Synonyms at offend. 2. a. To meet defiantly; confront. b. to biblical justice, both in terms of its impact on the marginalized in society and in terms of simple fairness. How can we perpetuate per·pet·u·ate tr.v. per·pet·u·at·ed, per·pet·u·at·ing, per·pet·u·ates 1. To cause to continue indefinitely; make perpetual. 2. a system which is clearly so unfair and so broken?" The way Texas applies the death penalty is unjust in terms of its impact on racial minorities, the poor, juvenile offenders and inmates who are mistakenly convicted, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the report. "Racism in sentencing is not a relic of the past," the report asserts, noting studies that show the race of the victim and the defendant have a direct bearing on sentencing. The commission's report states that a Texan who murders a white person is five times more likely to be sentenced to death than a Texan who murders an African American African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. . And white Texans rarely receive the death penalty for killing black people. "Statistically, race is more likely to affect death sentencing than smoking affects the likelihood of dying from heart disease. While the latter evidence has produced significant legal and societal changes, racism continues to be a dominant factor in the administration of the death penalty," the report states. The commission's report also points to discrimination based on economic class, saying, "A defendant's poverty, lack of firm social standing in the community, and inadequate legal representation at trial or on appeal are all common factors among death-row populations." |
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