Death Penalty abolitionist Sister Helen Prejean challenged California Gov. Gavin Newsom to eliminate capital punishment in the state once and for all. “Commute all the sentences on Death Row so that they will never be in danger of death again,…
Trump wants death penalty for all murders in DC
As U.S support for the death penalty reaches new lows, President Donald Trump wants to make capital punishment the norm in the nation’s capital. “If somebody kills somebody in the capital, Washington, D.C., we’re going to be seeking the death…
Faith leaders urge Arkansas governor not to resume executions
August has been a busy month for capital punishment in Arkansas even though no executions are scheduled and the state’s governor said she’s in no rush to resume executions following an eight-year pause. The first development came Aug. 5 when…
Reform movement urges against death penalty for alleged Capital Jewish Museum shooter
The Reform movement’s Washington-based advocacy arm is urging Attorney General Pam Bondi not to seek the death penalty for the man accused of killing two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., in May.
Latest Tennessee execution draws attention to secrecy concerns
Government secrecy had as much to do with the botched execution of Byron Black as the toxic chemical Tennessee used to slowly and painfully take his life, death penalty abolitionist Stacy Rector said. “The state has a law shielding the…
The kingdom within: Reclaiming the sacred in an age of contradiction
“The kingdom of God is inside you, and all around you, not in mansions of wood and stone. Split a piece of wood, and I am there; lift a stone, and you will find me.” — Gospel of Thomas, Saying…
Abolishing the death penalty in the spirit of Easter and Passover
As we move through the sacred calendar of spring — when Jews celebrate Passover and Christians observe Easter — we are reminded of profound spiritual truths: Liberation from bondage, triumph over death, the sacredness of life. These holy days invite…
Death penalty executions on the rise worldwide
Death penalty executions in the U.S. and worldwide increased in 2024 over the previous year and reached the highest overall level in a decade, according to a new Amnesty International report. The human rights group said 1,518 state executions were…
Letter to the Editor: The moral urgency of abolishing the death penalty
Dear Editor: Imagine being given a choice on how you die, but the options are limited to electrocution, lethal injection or a firing squad. This isn’t a dystopian nightmare — it’s the grim decision forced upon Death Row inmates in…
US Supreme Court says Oklahoma Death Row inmate deserves new trial
Capital punishment opponents are rejoicing after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Oklahoma Death Row inmate Richard Glossip must receive a new trial in the 1997 killing of a motel owner in Oklahoma City. But death penalty abolitionists also acknowledge…
Louisiana set to gas 81-year-old man in wheelchair
Update: Christopher Sepulvado died in prison Feb. 21 before the state could execute him. On Feb. 17, an interfaith group of religious leaders gathered at Touro Synagogue in New Orleans for a prayer vigil in protest of Louisiana’s plan…
Church of murdered pastor supports execution. Another man of God says it should be stopped
Exodus 20 in the Bible lists Christianity’s 10 Commandment. Among them: “Thou shalt not kill.”