OLD CHATHAM QUAKERS
  • Home
  • What's Going On?
    • Calendar
    • Upcoming Events
  • Donate
  • More About Us
    • Location
    • Quaker Links
    • Renting the Meeting House
  • Meeting Life
    • Meeting Business
    • Meeting Directory
    • Miscellaneous Documents
    • Document Archive
    • Worship Sharing
    • The Role of Ministry and Counsel
    • Friends Burial Ground at Rayville
    • Photo Archive
  • Covid Policy
  • OCMM Visibility Strategy Survey
  • Blog
  • Sanctuary Documents
  • OPJ Documents
  • Solitary Housing Unit
  • Memorial Minutes

Vengeance and the Death Penalty

11/7/2022

7 Comments

 
Picture
Theresa Robinovitz is not willing to wait for God to act. Addressing Nikolas Cruz, the gunman in the Parkland school shooting, she said, “I hope your every breathing moment here on Earth is miserable and you repent for your sins and burn in hell.” Robinovitz is one of many relatives of the 17 people (mostly adolescents) murdered by Cruz. She and other family members of victims recently attended his sentencing hearing where they were allowed to give victim impact statements. As far as I can tell from a N.Y. Times article, everyone who spoke wanted the death penalty for Cruz, who was—to their consternation—sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. According to the Times, they were “brimming with rage, disappointment, and grief.”

I’ve always opposed the death penalty. In high school persuasive speaking, I passionately spoke against the death penalty, which is disproportionately applied to minorities who cannot afford good legal representation. Moreover, if an innocent person is executed, there’s no way to redress the legal mistake. Most importantly, life is sacred, and the state that inflicts the death penalty is following the bad example of the killer. This extreme punishment is nothing less than vengeance, with no thought given to the rehabilitation of the convicted person.

Nor is vengeance good for the families and friends of the murdered victim. Anyone consumed by rage at a life sentence for a capital crime is creating a self-imposed psychological prison. To rid oneself of such rage and live without its burden, it’s necessary to forgive. Forgiveness is an act of self-love.

But the Bible does say that vengeance belongs to God. So, what does God’s vengeance look like? I personally reject the belief that Jesus was God, but Jesus was so transparent to God that his sayings—in my opinion—mostly reflect God’s judgements. (I realize I’m anthropomorphizing God.)

Jesus tells us, “Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate. Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven (Luke 6:36-37, CEB).” In other words, while God acknowledges sin, God does not punish in the way that human beings punish. And God’s forgiveness extends both to a murderer and the victims of the murderer. God’s “vengeance”—in human terms—is not vengeance at all. God’s revenge is love. Therefore, God wants us to avoid the death penalty, which is the antithesis of love. And Hell—if it exists at all—is not God’s vengeance upon murderers. Nor is it a fit “place” for those who are deeply angry with the murderer.   

~ Richard Russell
7 Comments
Richard Russell
11/8/2022 08:00:32 am

In this post, I didn't emphasize that our sympathies should be with the victims, not Nicolas Cruz, the killer. His was a heinous crime; and although the victims should forgive him, it's understandable that such forgiveness might take years or perhaps never come.

I also stated that God's "revenge" on Cruz was love, but it's a "tough love" with negative consequences for Cruz--perhaps feelings of guilt, certainly a long period of incarceration. I suspect--although I don't know--that God doesn't like the idea of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. And I doubt that God would approve of putting Cruz in solitary confinement to "protect" him from other inmates

Alttogether this was a horrible crime that certainly tests our compassion for the killer and--perhaps--challenges God's mercy as well.

Richard Russell

Reply
Donald Newman Lathrop
11/11/2022 08:46:39 pm

Good delemma!

I don't know what the most appropriate penalty should be in this case. I agree that it should not be solitary confinement.

Good question.

By the way, according to our newspaper we are scheduled for snow in a few days. Ouch.

Peace,
Don

Reply
Richard Russell
11/12/2022 09:10:51 am

Well, being in Florida and having a nice, cozy jail cell, Cruz won't have to worry about being caught in the snow!

Richard

Donald Newman Lathrop
11/11/2022 08:41:51 pm

Nicely done.

I like your statement: "God’s revenge is love."

I also think your picture is marvelous. I had never seen it before.

Are all those falling into the fire Republicans? (Forgive me.)

Reply
Richard Russell
11/12/2022 09:19:47 am

If Hell were real, I would think there would be more Republicans than Democrats falling into the fire. However, there are many good Republicans who--hopefully--will wrest control of the Republican Party away from the MAGA anti-democratic wing of the party.

Richard

Reply
John Breasted
11/15/2022 05:42:58 pm

Thank you for this posting, Richard R. I find it well expressed and informative. I had not read the Nov. 2 NY Times account of the reaction to the sentencing until just now (11-15-22). The immersion of all commenters quoted into helplessly reactive rage is sad, however understandable. Plunging themselves into a living hell. The suffering caused by all these mass shootings for families and friends of those injured or killed is unimaginable. Difficult to contemplate. Thank you again.

Reply
Richard Russell
11/16/2022 09:35:40 am

Hi, John.

Thanks for your kind comments.

It is heartbreaking that mass shootings have become a routine occurrence in the U.S. Especially frustrating is the fact that there's a solution to the problem if we had the political will to act.

Richard

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    ​This blog was set up to post content of interest to Old Chatham Quaker members and attenders. Posts related to one's own personal spiritual journey, reports based on interviews with others, and reflections on Quaker-related topics are welcome. Posts by individuals are personal expressions and do not necessarily reflect those of the Meeting as a whole.
    Guidelines for posting on website blog:
    Submit to member of Communications committee; committee has editorial oversight over all content posted on the Meeting website.

    Be respectful of the nature of vocal ministry given in Meeting for Worship or other settings and any private conversations about spiritual matters.

    Cite source of any image or other external content submitted.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • What's Going On?
    • Calendar
    • Upcoming Events
  • Donate
  • More About Us
    • Location
    • Quaker Links
    • Renting the Meeting House
  • Meeting Life
    • Meeting Business
    • Meeting Directory
    • Miscellaneous Documents
    • Document Archive
    • Worship Sharing
    • The Role of Ministry and Counsel
    • Friends Burial Ground at Rayville
    • Photo Archive
  • Covid Policy
  • OCMM Visibility Strategy Survey
  • Blog
  • Sanctuary Documents
  • OPJ Documents
  • Solitary Housing Unit
  • Memorial Minutes