Religious+views+on+the+Death+Penalty



 The death penalty is a punishment that stems from ancient times, and the views on this present-day “capital punishment” have changed throughout the centuries. All religions and the individuals within those religions have different views on the death penalty. In the western world, Christianity and Judaism are the prevailing religions and although there is an emphasis on the separation of church and state, religion does have an influence on the laws and criticisms. Within the United States, the death penalty is still used as a form of punishment in 32 states (ProCon, “Death Penalty”). The purpose of this research is to show that one’s religious attitudes impact their views on the death penalty and how this impacts the judicial system.
 * Introduction **

__**The Religious Role in Different Aspects **__



 Being a part of a jury is a duty that many citizens will fill in their lifetime. When serving on a jury, it is asked that the jurors make a fair and unbiased decision when determining whether the defense is guilty or not. Religion is a major proponent in the decision one makes about sending someone to their death. “Religious Characteristics and the Death Penalty” by Monica Miller and R. David Hayward is a research article that explores the impact of religion and demographics on attitudes towards the death penalty through a mock trial. It states, “it is possible that someone could be excluded for cause based on her religion…someone who believes it is not her place to judge others and refuses to put aside this belief may be excluded because this would interfere with her duty as juror,” (2, 113). The source also notes someone may also be dismissed due to their strong feelings about death penalty, however this only applies to those who are opponents of the death penalty as they are not “death qualified”, (2, 113). Although many people will value their religion and personal attitudes over civic duty, it is important to note that not all will people will admit that they are not able to put aside their strong feelings to impartially judge someone. This is significant because it is highly likely that there have been a number of cases where one or several people in the jury allowed their religious attitudes to influence their judgement and possibly influence other jurors decisions. Religion does impact how one feels about the death penalty due to how people view the Bible or their Holy book, how important their religion is to them, and how one feels about how God views certain things. This research shows that there is a correlation between religious beliefs and how one decides on the death penalty.
 *  Jury Duty **



 It is important to look at the other side of the judicial system and examine how the defense and prosecutors use religion to influence the jury into ruling in their favor. According to “The Use of Religion in Death Penalty Sentencing Trials” by Monica Miller and Brian Bornstein, using religious appeals in an attempt to sway the jury is not an uncommon practice. During a trial, lawyers will use many different forms of persuasion to try to convince the jurors that they should side with one over the other. Outside of evidence, appealing to the jury’s morals and emotions are the most important factors when it comes to influence. Religion plays on both. This causes a lot of controversy between the courts and the lawyers because the courts want to ensure that the law is being upheld and each decision is made as little emotional influence as possible. This study used a mock trial to determine the impact of religious appeals on the jury’s decision. The study consisted of 265 people, the majority of whom came from Christian backgrounds (77% of participants were either catholic or protestant). The participants had to read a trial summary, which included some quote of the Bible scripture used by the prosecution and some quote from Jesus used by the defense, and the defense would get the defendant to testify that they have converted to Christianity since committing their crime or going to prison, and understands that although he or she did commit a sin, God forgives. The participants then had to answer a questionnaire on whether they would give life in prison without parole or the death sentence. The study concluded that the prosecutorial religious appeal did not seem to have an affect of the decision of the participants, however the defense religious appeal did (3, 681). The researchers state the reason for this may be due to the fact that when one hears about someone converting to their religion, then sympathy may ensue and make those that are deciding on the punishment feel like the defendant may be able to make a change in the world (3, 681). Most people have a general preconception about how Christians should act, especially within the United States. Whether someone is a part of a specific religion or not a part of a religion at all, it does not necessarily change the stereotype that Christians are humble and good people. Religion does impact the judicial system, on both the sides of the jurors and on the sides of the prosecution and the defense, and when looking at serious cases involving the death penalty, it is critical to analyze how exactly the opinions of jurors are being affected by this religious factor.
 * Prosecution and Defense **



 **Politics**  Politics are also very important when looking at religious attitudes towards the death penalty. Religion is very relevant when examining political attitudes, and politics also have a major influence on citizens views towards things such as the death penalty. When analyzing history, religion has been the law of the land far longer than any other governmental system has been place. “Catholic and the Death Penalty: Religion as a Filter for Political Beliefs” by Thomas K.B., Abraham Goldberg, and Tara Hannum, discusses how the media and current events have an influence over public opinion about generally controversial topics, such as the death penalty, and how political awareness and a religious, specifically catholic, background cause more stable opinions when it comes to the death penalty (Bias, T., et al. 2). This research looked at the catholic doctrine and analyzed the church’s teachings that would influenced their members positions on things such as the death penalty and abortions. The church believes that the death penalty is unlawful, and puts value on defending life. They analyzed the demographics within the church and saw that race, frequency of attendance, marriage status, and age had an effect on different members views of the death penalty (4, 3-5). This study took data collected from a survey over thirty years and compiled it into a model. The question on the survey was “Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of murder?” and for the purpose of this study, the only answers allowed were yes and no. This compiled data also took socioeconomic status, political identification (republican, democrat, etc.), demographics (age and race) and frequency of attendance to church into account. Catholics that are republican, have a higher income and education are more likely to be in favor of the death penalty. African Americans and Catholics who attend frequent services are more likely to oppose the death penalty (4, 6-8). The church teaches that the death penalty is wrong, so those that attend services frequently are more likely to line their beliefs up with the church. This study shows evidence that people will line up their religious beliefs with their political beliefs, and thus proves that religion influences ones opinion on the death penalty.

 **Demographics**  Religious attitudes, though are heavy influences of one’s attitude toward the death penalty, do not act alone in determining how one feels about the death penalty. Different demographics, such as race, act in conjunction with religion to form a person’s whole attitude toward the death penalty. Race is an important factor to look at because minorities are more likely to face the death penalty as a form of punishment than Caucasians. Minorities are more likely to oppose the death penalty. “Race, Religion, and Support for the Death Penalty: A Research Note” by Chester L. Britt examines how different races, mainly black and white, feel about the death penalty even though they are a part of the same religion and denomination, Protestant. It talks about how blacks, based on the correlation between their involvement with church and general political views, will more likely to not support the death penalty than blacks. The article states “…church membership is a function of sociopolitical views, we would expect whites to be affiliated disproportionality with fundamentalist Protestant organizations and blacks to affiliate at higher rates with religious orgs that hold socially and politically liberal views” (5, 177). It goes on to say “Fundamentalist churches with mostly white members tend to emphasize a doctrine of individual responsibility and blame…churches with mostly black members have been politically and socially active for decades, but their efforts have often been aimed at issues related to civil rights and social justice (5, 179). The study took a survey and compiled the data, but only included participants that identified as black or white. The survey included information about the demographics of the participants. The survey was the same survey that was used in the last study mentioned and asked the question “Do you agree or disagree that people convicted of murder should be subject to the death penalty?”. The study concluded that the effect of religious affiliation on support for the death penalty depends on the participants race, and that black fundamentalists showed the lowest support for the death penalty, while white fundamentalists show the highest support, (5, 189). These findings make sense because they are consistent with the data collected. It has been noted that white fundamentalists have a doctrine that stresses individual responsibility for one’s actions, and blacks tend to focus more on injustice. The death penalty is viewed completely differently between black and white Protestants. Although religion may seem less relevant in this sense, it is just as important to observe because analyzing different races within a religion can show how different groups interpret their religious doctrine.


 *  Citation **
 * 1) Rick S. " Is the Death Penalty Biblically Okay?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDoIAXrwPGA
 * 2) Monica K. et al. "Religious Characteristics and the Death Penalty." //Law and Human Behavior//, vol. 32, no. 2, 2008, Pp. 113-23, http://ezproxy.gru.edu/login?url=https:search.proquest.com/docview/204150925?accountid=12365, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10979-007-9090-z.
 * 3) Brian B. et al. "The use of Religion in Death Penalty Sentencing Trials." //Law and Human Behavior //, vol. 30, no. 6, 2006, Pp. 675-84, http://ezproxy.gru.edu/login?url=https:search.proquest.com/docview/204158750?accountid=12365, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10979-006-9056-6.
 * 4) Thomas K. et al. "Catholics and the Death Penalty: Religion as a Filter for Political Beliefs." //Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion//, vol. 7, 2011, [].
 * 5) Chester L. "Race, Religion, and Support for the Death Penalty: A Research Note." //Justice Quarterly : JQ//, vol. 15, no. 1, 1998, Pp. 175-191, [].