Crusade to End the Death Penalty

A Moral Emergency

The death penalty is an affront to human dignity. At this moment in history—when humanity longs for moral progress—the continued existence of state-sanctioned killing stains our nation’s soul.

A System Riddled with Injustice

Since 1973, over 200 people have been exonerated from death row. Countless others remain under death sentences tainted by prosecutorial misconduct, ineffective counsel, or systemic racism.

Racism and the Death Penalty

This system is soaked in racial bias. It disproportionately targets people of color and devalues the lives of the poor and marginalized.

Costly and Ineffective

The death penalty wastes billions of taxpayer dollars—funds that could instead support victims’ families, expand mental health care, or improve community safety.

Honoring Victims Without Violence

We pursue a vision of justice that heals rather than destroys—a justice that honors victims with compassion, not cruelty.

Relentless Commitment

We will not rest until the death penalty is abolished nationwide. Our movement is a moral imperative grounded in truth, justice, and love.

Voices of Survival

We uplift the testimonies of exonerees—living witnesses to the cruelty and fallibility of this broken system. Their courage is a call to action.

The Catholic Church’s Teaching on the Death Penalty

The Catholic Church firmly opposes the death penalty.

Pope Benedict XVI urged societies to “do everything possible to avoid recourse to the death penalty,” noting that modern means of detention make it unnecessary to protect society (Address to the Community of Sant’Egidio, 2007).

In 2018, Pope Francis revised the Catechism of the Catholic Church to declare that “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person” and affirmed that the Church “works with determination for its abolition worldwide” (CCC §2267).

The Episcopal Church’s Teaching on the Death Penalty

The Episcopal Church opposes capital punishment as a violation of the sanctity of life, the possibility of redemption, and the Gospel call to mercy and justice.

• In 1958, the General Convention first expressed opposition to the death penalty.

• In 1979, Resolution D082 reaffirmed the Church’s “unequivocal” opposition.

• In 2000 and 2018, further resolutions (D062 and D077) called for total abolition and encouraged Episcopalians to advocate against capital punishment.

The Episcopal Church warns that the death penalty denies repentance, deepens racial injustice, and betrays the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The United Methodist Church's Position on the Death Penalty

The United Methodist Church ("UMC") opposes the death penalty. Its position is grounded in Christian theology, the sanctity of human life, and concerns about justice and equity. The official stance is found in the Social Principles of the UMC, specifically in the Book of Discipline, ¶164.G:

"We believe the death penalty denies the power of Christ to redeem, restore, and transform all human beings. We oppose the death penalty (capital punishment) and urge its elimination from all criminal codes."

Key Reasons for UMC Opposition:

• Sanctity of Life: All life is sacred and created in God’s image. Even those who commit grave crimes are not beyond the reach of God’s grace.

• Redemption and Transformation: The Church affirms the power of Christ to redeem every individual, including those convicted of heinous crimes.

• Risk of Wrongful Execution: The possibility of executing innocent people is an unacceptable risk.

• Racial and Economic Bias: The UMC recognizes that capital punishment is disproportionately applied to poor individuals and people of color.

• Nonviolent Witness: The Church seeks to embody the peace and mercy of Jesus, advocating for alternatives to violence and vengeance.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Stance on the Death Penalty

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ("ELCA") officially opposes the death penalty. This position was adopted in a 1991 Social Statement on the death penalty, reaffirmed through their ongoing advocacy and faith-based engagement.

1. Restorative Justice Over Retribution
   The ELCA emphasizes restoration, healing, and reconciliation. It contends that capital punishment does not meet the needs of victims or society and perpetuates a cycle of violence

2. Sanctity of Human Life
   Every human life is sacred. The ELCA asserts that even individuals who have committed serious violent crimes retain inherent dignity and the potential for redemption.

3. Unfair and Biased Application
   The ELCA highlights that capital punishment in the U.S. has been applied inequitably—with disproportionate impacts related to race, socioeconomic status, mental capacity, and other factors .

4. Risk of Irreversible Error
   Mistakes in the justice system can lead to executing innocent people. The ELCA sees this as an irreparable wrong—something life imprisonment can avoid.

5. Lack of Deterrent Effect
   Empirical evidence on deterrence is inconsistent or negative. The ELCA concludes that capital punishment does not make society safer.

The United Church of Christ's Stance on the Death Penalty

• The United Church of Christ ("UCC") has formally opposed capital punishment since 1969 and has reaffirmed this stance multiple times through subsequent General Synod resolutions.

• A 2005 resolution from the Twelfth General Synod emphasized that “murder is wrong, whether committed by individuals or the state,” and called for the abolition of the death penalty.

Why the UCC Opposes the Death Penalty

• Sanctity of Life & Redemptive Theology
  Grounded in Christian faith, the church believes every life bears the image of God, and redemption—not state-sanctioned killing—should guide society.

• Social Justice Concerns
  The application of the death penalty is seen as biased toward people of color, economically disadvantaged individuals, and those without quality legal representation.

• Call to Abolition
  The resolutions urge state leaders—like governors and lawmakers—to terminate executions and eliminate capital punishment from all laws

Reform Judaism's Stance on the Death Penalty

The Union for Reform Judaism ("URJ") and the Central Conference of American Rabbis ("CCAR") have consistently opposed capital punishment for decades.

• In 1959, the CCAR called for the abolition of the death penalty.

• In 1979, a CCAR resolution stated:

  “Judaism’s emphasis on the sanctity of life, the possibility of repentance, and the fallibility of human judgment” make the death penalty incompatible with Jewish ethics.

• The URJ has repeatedly reaffirmed this position, most recently emphasizing the racial disparities, wrongful convictions, and the lack of deterrent effect as reasons for abolition.

Reconstructionist Judaism's Stance on the Death Penalty

The Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association ("RRA") and Reconstructing Judaism also oppose the death penalty.

• Their opposition is grounded in the Jewish commitment to tzelem Elohim (צֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים)—the belief that every human being is made in the image of God.

• A 2001 statement from the RRA said:

  “The death penalty is an affront to the Jewish values of justice, mercy, and human dignity.”

Conservative Judaism's Stance on the Death Penalty

The Rabbinical Assembly, representing Conservative rabbis, has also expressed opposition:

• In 1996, the Assembly passed a resolution stating:

  “Given the practical impossibility of ensuring a fair and non-discriminatory application of capital punishment... we oppose its use in civil society.”

• This reflects an approach rooted in halakhic caution (Jewish legal restraint) and moral concern.

International Network of Engaged Buddhists's Stance on the Death Penalty

The International Network of Engaged Buddhists ("INEB"), which includes Buddhists from many traditions (Theravāda, Mahāyāna, Vajrayāna), has spoken out strongly against the death penalty, linking it to Buddhist teachings on compassion (karuṇā) and non-harming (ahiṃsā).

• In multiple declarations, INEB has affirmed:

  “All life is sacred, and the deliberate taking of life by the state violates the principles of compassion and wisdom.”

The Dalai Lama's Stance on the Death Penalty (Tibetan Buddhism)

The 14th Dalai Lama has repeatedly called for the abolition of the death penalty:

• In a 2005 statement:

  “I am against the death penalty... taking a person’s life who is already in prison does not bring justice to the victim, but simply adds to the violence.”

• He has emphasized rehabilitation, forgiveness, and restorative justice over retribution.

A New Future

Abolition is not just a policy—it is a moral awakening.
Join us in ending this state-sanctioned violence. The time is now.