Things To Ponder Before Taking A Life

It has been a little over a week since Troy Davis was executed by the state of Georgia in neighboring Butts County.

Davis was convicted by a Savannah jury for the murder of an off duty policeman over 20 years ago. There were many who protested Davis’ execution.

Much was made over the fact that a number of prosecution witnesses recanted their testimony and other mitigating factors. For this reason many folks felt that Davis should not have been executed.

Quite frankly, the legal system worked about as well as it could in this case. Davis was tried and he was convicted.

Digging a bit deeper one discovered that there was much less to the exonerating evidence on behalf of Troy Davis than met the eye. It seems his conviction was in order.

It is important to remember for our legal system to work it is incumbent on its participants to be truthful in their testimony. It is also important that jurors be firm in their convictions. However, everyone who participates in our legal system is human and human beings make mistakes.

I am friends with a number of attorneys, judges and others who every day are hard at work as a part of our legal system. They are good folks who take their work seriously and strive for justice. Yet, none of them is infallible.

This leads me to wonder, should we as a society of imperfect human beings be in the business of taking the life of another human being? The truth is many innocent people have been imprisoned only to be exonerated later on and set free from prison.

Some have even been executed only to have their innocence later affirmed. Of course executions cannot be undone. Can we as a society live with the possibility of having innocent blood on our hands?

Further, executing criminals makes a statement not about the criminal but makes a statement about ourselves. One of the core teachings of Jesus was that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

In other words Jesus taught that we are to respond to others out of the content of our character not out of the content of their character. The actions of others should not change who we are.

Many will point out that executed individuals deserve what they get. Maybe so. Maybe not. What I know is that God does not deal with me based on what I deserve but out of the content of his character. I am called to do the same.

I’m sure it makes many feel good to hear of the execution of those who have committed heinous crimes. Granted Troy Davis will never kill another person. Sadly however, his execution could not and did not restore what he had taken away. Further his execution will more than likely not prevent a future crime. Studies and statistics have shown that the death penalty is not an effective deterrent to crime.

I suspect that most who read this column will not agree with many of the words that I have written. That’s fine.

The truth is that if everyone agreed with everything a preacher says we really wouldn’t have any need for preachers. If we who preach only say what people already think then no one is really learning and growing in their faith.

So it is that I ask you to think—think on these thoughts, let them roll around in your brain and give them some consideration.

I’m not promising a changed mind, but when we challenge our own notions and beliefs we can see if those beliefs are worth keeping.