Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Interesting review of Jesus on Death Row...
I noticed a new review of my book in the Decatur Daily, a paper out of Decatur, Alabama.
Though this isn't the highest-profile publication to critique my book, it may be my favorite review of all. The author (Gary Cosby, Jr.) is, apparently, a staff photographer for the paper who also is an acknowledged death penalty supporter. In other words, he is exactly the type of person I wanted to reach-- a thinking Christian who engages with critical social issues and has been for the use of capital punishment. It makes me very happy that he liked the book. Here is part of what he has to say:
Many of us who support the death penalty don’t fully understand its administration, but Osler forces us to confront the reality of modern execution and its disturbing similarity to the ancient methods used to execute Jesus.
Osler also confronts, from many sides, the very idea of execution by the state as a means of justice. He leaves the reader with the following thought: When Jesus was confronted with a situation where the defendant was clearly guilty of a crime punishable by death under Jewish law, he left both critics and supporters amazed.
A woman caught in the act of adultery was brought to Jesus, and he was asked to condemn her. Jesus refused to condemn her and used the opportunity to tell the accusers, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Jesus challenged not the law, not the criminal act of the woman — but the moral authority of the would-be executioners to take a human life.
While there are certainly criminals who have committed such heinous acts that they are worthy of the death penalty, I now have a question in my mind.
Do I have the moral authority to be the one to cast the first stone?
Though this isn't the highest-profile publication to critique my book, it may be my favorite review of all. The author (Gary Cosby, Jr.) is, apparently, a staff photographer for the paper who also is an acknowledged death penalty supporter. In other words, he is exactly the type of person I wanted to reach-- a thinking Christian who engages with critical social issues and has been for the use of capital punishment. It makes me very happy that he liked the book. Here is part of what he has to say:
Many of us who support the death penalty don’t fully understand its administration, but Osler forces us to confront the reality of modern execution and its disturbing similarity to the ancient methods used to execute Jesus.
Osler also confronts, from many sides, the very idea of execution by the state as a means of justice. He leaves the reader with the following thought: When Jesus was confronted with a situation where the defendant was clearly guilty of a crime punishable by death under Jewish law, he left both critics and supporters amazed.
A woman caught in the act of adultery was brought to Jesus, and he was asked to condemn her. Jesus refused to condemn her and used the opportunity to tell the accusers, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Jesus challenged not the law, not the criminal act of the woman — but the moral authority of the would-be executioners to take a human life.
While there are certainly criminals who have committed such heinous acts that they are worthy of the death penalty, I now have a question in my mind.
Do I have the moral authority to be the one to cast the first stone?
