The event will examine the arguments for and against capital punishment under a Christian faith based lens.
Representatives of Central Christian said the church has not taken an official position on capital punishment, but is hosting the event to give their congregation an opportunity to learn about some of the challenges regarding the death penalty.
“As Christians, we need to let our faith shape how we approach complicated issues like capital punishment,” Senior Pastor Carl Ruby said. “We need to balance a concern for justice with our commitment to the sanctity of life.”
Ruby said the timing of the lecture series was appropriate as the U.S. Supreme Court weighed in on executions carried out in Arkansas over the last week.
Claiborne, an author and Christian activist will lead the discussion. His books include “The Irresistible Revolution”, “Jesus for President”, and “Executing Grace: How the Death Penalty Killed Jesus and Why It’s Killing Us”.
Derrick Jamison, a Hamilton County resident who spent 20 years on death row before being exonerated will talk about his experiences and the consequences that capital punishment has on everyone involved.
The evening will also include Pastor Jack Sullivan Jr., former executive director of Murder Victim’s Families for Reconciliation, a group opposed to the death sentence. Sullivan, of Findlay, will speak about the murder of his sister and the act of forgiveness.
Ohioans to Stop Executions said executions are down and are continuing to fall.
“We see lots of contributing factors to that, things like the wrongful convictions that have happened,” said Kevin Werner, executive director of Ohioans to Stop Executions. “We got twelve guys in Ohio who faced the death penalty for crimes that they had nothing to do with.”
Central Christian representatives said this discussion is not limited to Christians, but is open to all members of the community.
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