AS the debate on hanging gains momentum and Parliament deliberates a conscience vote, more than half of the members of the clergy polled by the Sunday Observer last week have thrown their weight behind capital punishment, urging its resumption by Government.

Of 40 church leaders questioned, 27 said they were in favour of the death penalty, while four were undecided.

“The church is not a monolithic organisation,” commented Rev Karl Johnson, general secretary of the Jamaica Baptist Union and president of the Jamaica Council of Churches (JCC). “There are members [in the church] for it and members against the death penalty.”

But while some church leaders have endorsed the resumption of hanging, they have voiced strong concerns because they claim that the Jamaican justice system is currently incompetent.

They cite inadequacies, such as a lack of technological capabilities in forensics, among other shortcomings, that, in many instances, would leave serious doubts about the innocence of those being put to death.

“In our justice system one has to be careful how you put people away,” said Rev Peter Garth, president of the Jamaica Association of Evangelicals. He argued that the local justice system had too many flaws and loopholes and, as such, people should be put to death only when there is 100 per cent certainty.

“Evidence must be clear, not hit and miss. Then there is a place for capital punishment,” said Rev Garth.

Rev Phillip Foster of the Spring Village Gospel Assembly in St Catherine also feels that with an improved justice system the death penalty should be invoked.

“I don’t think having the death penalty abdicates forgiveness or mercy, the State can still do that,” he said.

Against the backdrop of a murder toll that has surpassed 1,200 since January, the death penalty returned to public spotlight last week as parliamentarians debated the issue in the lead-up to a conscience vote that should have been taken last Wednesday. However, the vote was delayed to this Tuesday by Prime Minister Bruce Golding because some MPs were not in the House.

Recently, prominent clergyman Rev Al Miller, in sanctioning capital punishment, stated that Government would not be fulfilling its role if it did not support the death penalty, which, he said, is a clear command in scriptures.

Miller argued that the Ten Commandments edict ‘Thou shalt not kill’, referred to individuals, not to the State.

He found a zealous ally in Rev Terrence Brown of Spanish Town, who in urging the resumption of hanging said that he would be willing to act as a hangman.

Morals, however, played the critical role in the position of other church leaders against capital punishment.

For Roman Catholic priest Father Kenneth Richards his church has long opposed the death penalty, but he also bolstered his position based on what he said are imperfections in the local justice system.

“There is no need for governments to use the death penalty,” Fr Richards said, adding that an inadequate justice system compounded the problem.

“With the imperfections in our system there is the strong likelihood of putting innocent people to death,” said Fr Richards.

He contended that persons convicted of murder should, instead, be isolated from society and undergo a programme of rehabilitation.

The JCC president, Rev Johnson, also argued for rehabilitation, saying that persons advocating the death penalty based on the scriptures were being selective.

“There are codes of the Old Testament that also called for death, adultery for instance,” Johnson said, adding that a more wholistic approach was required to deal with the island’s spiralling crime rate.

Rev Charles H Dufour, Bishop of Montego Bay: – NO

“The position of the Catholic Church regarding the death penalty, though not popular, is quite clear… our first sentiments go out to those who suffer the loss of loved ones. However, contrary to what many feel, snuffing out the lives of perpetrators is too easy an answer. Restitution and reconciliation will never be obtained by the taking of lives in revenge. This is where our parliamentarians need to think outside the box and look again at the whole penal system that will include restorative justice, reconciliation, and rehabilitation.”

Pastor Bruce Polson, Christian Life Fellowship, (Papine): – YES

“I am in favour of retaining the death penalty as an option but we need to do some work to determine when to use that option, such as when you have criminals behind bars controlling crime on the outside. I am, however, not in favour of it as a routine general principle. In the parliamentary debate you hear almost a blood-thirsty cry for hanging and that disturbs me and distracts from the real issue.”

Rev Peter Garth, president of the Jamaica Association of Evangelicals: – Yes

“The local justice system has too many flaws and loopholes and, as such, people should be put to death only when there is 100 per cent certainty.”

Reverend Dennis McCoy, Olson Memorial (Church of God in Jamaica): – YES

“My thoughts on this issue have to be Biblical, and I base my argument primarily on Genesis Nine, which says that ‘He that sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed…’ As far as capital punishment is concerned, I am in support of it. The Bible teaches it, both in the Old and New Testaments. Anyone who kills with malice of forethought should be punished accordingly, so long as it can be proven in the court of law. Unfortunately, those who are knocking capital punishment are not suggesting anything to put in its place.”

Rev Karl Johnson, general secretary of the Jamaica Baptist Union: – No

“Persons advocating the death penalty, based on the scriptures, are being selective. There are codes of the Old Testament that also called for death, adultery, for instance. A more wholistic approach was required to deal with the island’s spiralling crime issue.”

Bishop Carmen Stewart, pastor of the Pentecostal Gospel Temple (Kingston): – YES

“I am not against the death penalty but I am for a fair trial and every opportunity for defence. But if found guilty after the fair trial, I am not against it. I know it’s not put into action immediately so that the person has time to prepare him or herself and I think there has to be much prayer and counselling done with the person, but after all fair efforts have been made and the person is found guilty, the penalty should be applied.”