Topic: Theology III '05-'06
I finally get back on to update this with an event I went to today; however, there are many things I want to share to catch you up on what's happening lately, but you will have to settle for the events of today. I do however, plan on doing a catch-up entry soon, with pictures. But getting on with this entry...
Today, I had the oportunity to attend a Mass and luncheon honoring Sr. Helen Prejean. "Who is she?" you may be asking. Well, she is the religious sister who wrote the book that became a motion picture with Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn, "Dead Man Walking." The Jesuit Volunteer Corps was honoring her with an award for her minsitry to the death row inmates.
She spoke at the dinner about her views on the death penalty, the dignity of the inmates, as well as the dignity of the victoms and their families. This was all done in light of her two books on stories of three convicted killers who were put to death. She hit on many truths regarding the country's and the Church's conflicting views of the death penalty. One of John Paul II's enciclicals deals with the death penalty directly in a section (the title escapes my mind right now). In in he argues for the dignity of the human person, even the person who has commited such a heinous crime as to make a nation think he/she deserves to die. Sr. Helen commented on this document and share some stories of men she has accompanied to the death chamber. One such story struck a cord deep within my heart and I offer it to you for your reflection:
Someone (prosecutor, prison guard, I can't remember) asked an inmate on death row who would soon be put to death, "Why should we not do this? Give me one good reason why you should be allowed to live in light of the crime you commited."
He respond, "I have only one reason. Becuase, you are better than me."
What a profoundly packed statement. This brings to question the dignity we offer men like this and if we put him to death, are we really better than he is?
I will leave you with this: A sticker that I had to have as soon as I read it and now can be seen displayed on my guitar case that is riddle with stickers says:
"Why do we kill people to show that killing people is wrong?"
Posted by Big Mike
at 7:24 PM CST