World Day Against the Death Penalty 2024 - Multi-faith Engagement Event
Start: Thursday, October 10, 2024• 9:00 AM
End: Thursday, October 10, 2024• 1:00 PM
Location:Central Presbyterian Church•201 Washington St SW, Atlanta, GA 30303 US
Host Contact Info: Cathy Harmon-Christian charmon, christian@gfadp.org, 770-316-8592
Dear people of faith, Oct 10th is World Day Against the Death Penalty. This year, we are gathering faith leaders (ordained or not) at Central Presbyterian Church (across from the Georgia Capitol) at 9am for a morning of conversation, collaboration, strategic thinking, and action. This time will be followed by a press conference on the steps of the Georgia Capitol at 12:30pm. If you are a person of faith who wants to put your faith into action against the death penalty, please join us! Last year, Georgia Faith Leaders spoke out powerfully on the steps of the Georgia Capitol calling for an end of the death penalty, including: Rabbi Michael Rothbaum, Congregation Bet Haverim, Atlanta Most Rev. Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv. Archbishop of Atlanta, The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta Rev. Kate Culver, Associate Pastor Central Presbyterian Church, PCUSA Bishop Rob Wright, 10th Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta The Rev. Kim Jackson, GA State Senator, Vicar at Church of the Common Ground. Rev. Dr. John H. Vaughn, Executive Pastor Ebenezer Baptist Church Sucheta Kamath, Founder/CEO ExQ, Hindu Faith, Board of Trustees at Sanatan Mandir Anton Flores-Maisonet, Interim Co-Pastor, Atlanta Mennonite Church Friend-in-Residence, Atlanta Friends Meeting Sister Allison Smith, Atlanta Masjid of Al Islam Diogenes "Dio” Arauz, Pastor, Iglesia Jehovah Luz y Esperanza Rev. Dr. Jenny McBride, All Saints' Episcopal Church Atlanta Rev. Brent Huckaby, Glenn Memorial UMC William Holland, Ph.D., member and past Clerk Atlanta Friends Meeting, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) At the end of the prayer service, we shared a Faith Letter to be delivered to the Georgia General Assembly on Feb 7, 2024. This letter, "Georgia Faith Leaders United for Action" states: We, as faith leaders from every corner of the state of Georgia, come together to bring to your attention an injustice occurring in our state and urge you to take action to stop it. In 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that executing those with intellectual disabilities was a violation of the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment's protection against cruel and unusual punishment. The court left it up to individual states to develop standards for determining intellectual disability. Sadly, Georgia stands alone among all the states in requiring the highest standard of proof – beyond a reasonable doubt. As a result, individuals with intellectual disabilities have been executed, and are at risk of being executed again. This year, we have reiterate our support for a Intellectual Disabilities bill. As well, we affirm a collective statement of faith: "As faith leaders of varying religious traditions and practices, we stand in direct and firm opposition to the death penalty as a crime for any punishment in the state of Georgia. We believe the state should not engage in the practice of taking life, no matter the crime. Along with concerns about fairness, intellectual disability, discrimination and the potential error in its application, we believe that the death penalty is a violation of human rights, welfare and dignity and that the state of Georgia should not be responsible for such an irreversible decision".
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