By Jean Welch Hill–
(Editor note: All this week, our regular bloggers are considering, and writing about, the question of why belong to a religion when the fastest growing demographic is no religion at all? Jean Welch Hill answers the question by demonstrating the long tradition of Catholic church advocacy for life.)
Though my usual blog posts are not typically calls to action, the Utah Legislature is in its final weeks and Catholic voices are needed more than ever to promote a pro-life issue.
HB 379 Death Penalty Amendments repeals the archaic and barbaric death penalty in Utah. The bill has passed a House committee and will be debated on the floor in the next week. As this bill comes to the forefront of conversations at the Legislature, we urge you to act from a position of faith, recognizing that, as Christians, we are called to protect all life. We are called to act with true justice, with the understanding that mercy is the only way to truly overcome evil.
Last year, Pope Francis reminded us that the death penalty is “contrary to the Gospel” and “inadmissible because it attacks the inviolability and the dignity of the person.” The death penalty does not promote human dignity, either for the victim and their family or for the accused. Furthermore, we believe that any act of violence against a human being is a sin against God. Just as we defend the life of the innocent, we are called to defend the life of everyone, even those we consider to be most sinful, in our society. The death penalty simply offers a solution contrary to our belief system.
I urge you to act now in support of HB 379, to end the death penalty once and for all in the State of Utah. Please use the link below to contact your representative. If possible, you can even try to make time to call or send a personalized email message. We must use this opportunity to represent our faith in our state’s political system. We understand that no judge, jury, or state legislature is capable of deciding that another person should be denied his or her basic humanity. As heinous as a person’s actions may be, the sanctity of their lives remains. A sanctity we believe must be protected not just at conception but throughout life and until the person succumbs to a natural death.
http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/6279/p/dia/action4/common/public/?action_KEY=25872
