Faith Behind Bars

By Alex Hannaford

Source: Texas Observer

 

Thomas Whitaker grew up in his parents’ devout Christian faith, but after eight years on death row, he’s rejected the religion he followed for 27 years. In fact, he’s rejected any belief in a divine power at all. Whitaker was sentenced to death in 2007 for organizing the murder of his family in order to collect an inheritance of $1.5 million, prosecutors said. Fueled by what they described as an “irrational hate,” he paid his roommate, 21-year-old Chris Brashear, to carry out the shooting of his brother, mother and father. Whitaker’s dad was the only one who survived.

Religious Responses to the Death Penalty

By Adam Santosh

 

The death penalty is a huge and often contentious issue today, and Texas with its capital punishment laws is at the forefront of all discussions. I recently reviewed an important document by the Texas Interfaith Center for Public Policy, which offered some points to ponder from a multi-faith perspective.