THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 10, 1995 TAG: 9506090081
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E3 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Issues of Faith
SOURCE: Betsy Wright
LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
IN LAST WEEK'S column, I shared my mixed emotions over the call for capital punishment for those who perpetrated the Oklahoma City bombing. I'm not the only one with such angst. Many readers shared their own mixed feelings about the issue.
Many more, however, felt clear in their opinions on the subject. Some of those opinions follow, but first, a correction from Rabbi Israel Zoberman of Congregation Beth Chaverim in Virginia Beach.
``Thank you for another sensitive reflection,'' wrote Zoberman, ``on a significant theme. However, inadvertently you made a common mistake, attributing to the Hebrew Scriptures an `eye for an eye' approach with its negative implication of a harsh and exacting God, juxtaposed to Christianity's loving God.
``The Biblical `eye for an eye' is not to be taken literally, rather it reflects the need for monetary compensation toward an inflicted injury. Jesus' inspiring message of love comes out of the Hebrew Scripture itself, that as a Jew he studied from, with the guidance and interpretation of caring rabbis.''
Now, here are some of the other Reader Responses received.
From pastor Tom Douros of Community Church of Norfolk: ``It's true the Bible teaches, `You shall not kill,' but it also teaches, `Whatever a man sows that shall he also reap.' Notice Genesis 9:6, (which says) `Whoever sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God he made man.'
``Cruel and unusual crimes deserve cruel and unusual punishment. This is taught very clearly and forcefully throughout the Bible.''
From J.W. Carlin of Virginia Beach: ``You appear to be another reader of the New Testament who fails to take in the entire text in your thinking. Recall that God himself sent his own son to capital punishment. Consider, too, that Jesus did not say that capital punishment was wrong. He said nothing concerning the sentence of death. . . . The Scriptures teach that murder is wrong, and that the shedding of innocent blood is wrong, but it does not teach that capital punishment for heinous crimes is wrong nor does it teach that righteous wars are wrong. . . . One's own conscience must dictate what one believes about capital punishment, but do not say that the New Testament clearly teaches against it.''
From Mikki P. Jacques of Virginia Beach: ``To say `forgive and forget' is asking the impossible. Much hurt and anger will be with those people for years to come. My feelings are: It would erase their pain and anger if for punishment, (the terrorists) had to spend the next 20-to-30 years working in an emergency room seeing first hand, day-to-day the pain and grief they have caused the 168 victims.''
And finally, the Rev. Glenn Bock of St. Francis of Assisi Anglican Church in Hampton sent a letter excerpting an item that appeared in the newsletter of The Anglican Church of the Holy Cross in Oklahoma City. The piece was written by someone on the frontline of the Oklahoma tragedy: the parish priest, Father George Miley.
``I have spent a great deal of time working with other clergy in and around the site of the bombing,'' wrote Miley. ``Most of the clergy have spent time with the dead, the injured, the survivors, their family and friends, and the people charged with rescue, salvage, and security, and have also tried to be of spiritual strength to each other under these awful conditions. One thing that has been agreed upon by all is . . . that hate of and toward the perpetrators is counter-productive for our own soul's health.
``Hatred injures only the person hating. It has no effect on the one hated. It is through forgiveness and turning judgment over to God that we can truly extract some measure of justice out of this or any crime. It is easy to understand wanting to despise or hate or even retaliate against people who do such evil, but that is not the will of God. In hating, we participate in the sins of those we hate. By our forgiving the sinners, we no longer participate in their sins, and all that God has to serve upon them is theirs alone.
``But we must always bear in mind that despite what the world seems to think, forgiving is not condoning. It is not excusing or shrugging off any illegal, immoral or degenerate act. Forgiving is truly saying, `I think - I even know - it is wrong, but God, not I, must judge this person, and I must leave that judgment in his hands.'
``We are not gods. We cannot judge. We must but serve and follow the commands that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ gave us: `Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.' '' by CNB