TO: All Members of Congress & President Biden:

As Christian faith leaders, we are calling upon Congress to support and pass the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act of 2021. We are committed to policies rooted in justice and equity, grounded in the promise of redemption. Our stance on the issue is grounded first and foremost in foundational biblical and Christian principles. We have also relied on empirical evidence supported by data and research; and taken into consideration the real impact of what it means to be a country predicated on murder, punishment, and retribution.  The words “Equal Justice Under Law” are carved into the face of our U.S. Supreme Court building, and yet by any measure we have not achieved that lofty goal. Only 2% of the counties in the U.S. have been responsible for the majority of cases leading to executions since 1976. 75 percent of the cases involve the murder of white victims, even though blacks and whites are about equally likely to be victims of murder. God commands us to judge fairly, however race, economics, politics and geography are far greater determining factors than the severity of crime.

We believe in the intrinsic worth of all life, and in the dignity of human personhood, that are gifts of God. We believe ALL are redeemable. The death penalty undermines the process of redemption and healing.

We hold deep love and respect for victims and the impact on society, and we most certainly are not opposed to accountability for rightfully convicted persons.  However, we believe that the death penalty serves no moral purpose.  Instead, it is an ineffective, expensive, and hollow instrument of death that offers no redemption, no closure, and no transformation.

Now is the time for our country to rid itself of this outdated and immoral method of punishment. Institutionalized killing contributes to the brutalization of society. Such a final and heinous decision should not be left to the discretion of flawed humans and a broken system too flawed to fix. As people motivated by faith and sparked by profound love for the common good, we are calling on members to stop executions in the United States and to support and pass the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act of 2021.

Signed,