台灣基督徒支持暫緩並廢除死刑之連署聲明文/Call for a Moratorium on Executions and Abolition of the Death Penalty in Taiwan

台灣基督徒支持暫緩並廢除死刑之連署聲明文

Call for a Moratorium on Executions and Abolition of the Death Penalty~A Joint Open Letter from the Christians of Taiwan

(English Version is below)

有鑑於前法務部長王清峰因主張廢除死刑，又因公開宣稱其任內不會執行死刑，而被迫辭職之事件，以及媒體對此事件之報導，和網路上的各種討論言詞，我們在深感遺憾之餘，發表此一公開的呼籲。

我們要對社會上有人採取置人於死之暴行表示痛心，也對暴行之受害者家屬表達感同身受的哀傷。我們祈求慈愛、憐憫的主上帝親自安慰受害者的家屬，早日走出哀痛，過正常、健康的生活。我們呼籲，政府要採取積極有效的措施來預防犯罪，並修法給予受害者之家屬必要的補償與扶助。
我們主張罪犯應該受到適當的懲罰與教化，以對世人起警惕作用。然而，死刑是一種不可能回復的極刑。人的法律和判斷是不完全的，誤判、冤獄時有所聞。況且，死刑業己被國際人權潮流公認為是殘忍而不人道的刑罰。故而，我們從基督宗教信仰尊重生命的立場出發，誠摯地呼籲，政府立即停止執行死刑，儘速研擬相關的配套措施和法律條文，以徹底廢除死刑。

值此受難節前夕，我們呼籲全國基督徒團結一致尊重生命、反對死刑，以紀念吾主耶穌曾因死刑受苦受難。我們更呼籲台灣人民，發揮熱忱的宗教情操，去除報復的死刑觀，讓社會充滿和諧與溫馨，降低暴戾之氣，使致人於死的罪行減少，讓台灣成為一個尊重生命與人權的國家，一個充滿友愛、寬恕的社會。


一群基督徒
2010年3月28日
 
台灣基督徒支持暫緩並廢除死刑之連署運動連絡人：陳文珊(玉山神學院講師、台灣神學雜誌社主編)
e-mail：[email protected] fax:：02-22348343

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Call for a Moratorium on Executions and Abolition of the Death Penalty
A Joint Open Letter from the Christians of Taiwan

Given that the former Minister of Justice, Wang Ching-feng has been forced from office following her advocacy of the abolition of the death penalty and her public announcement that while in office she would not permit its use, and taking into account media reports of this event and lively discussion on the internet, we feel deeply moved and desire to express an open appeal:

We feel deeply grieved that there are people among us who use violence to put others to death and express our fullest condolences and sympathy to the relatives of the victims of that violence. We pray the loving and merciful Lord to comfort them and lead them through the dark valley of grief back to a normal and healthy life [to that peace which only He can give]. We call on the government to adopt proactive and effective measures to prevent crime, whilst amending the law so as to give the relatives of victims of violence the support and aid they need.

We hold that criminals should receive an appropriate punishment and re-education as a warning to others, but the death penalty is an exceptional form of punishment that admits of no reverse. No human law or judgement is free from error; mistaken judgements and wrongful imprisonment are not unheard of. Moreover, the death penalty is already seen by the international human rights community as a cruel and inhumane form of punishment. Furthermore, as Christians we value life and so earnestly appeal for the government to enact an immediate moratorium on executions and to speedily put in place the laws and regulations allowing for the total abolition of the death penalty.

On this [eve of] (day when we recall) the crucifixion of Christ, we call on all Christian communities in Taiwan to unite in our respect for life and opposition to the death penalty, as an act of remembrance for Our Lord Jesus [Christ] who suffered and was condemned to death. We also call on the people of Taiwan to mobilise the forces of religious zeal and put an end to the call for vengeance represented by the death penalty. May harmony and compassion fill the hearts of all our people. May crimes which once called for the death penalty diminish, and may Taiwan became a country in which life is respected and human rights honoured, a land full of love and forgiveness.

April 2, 2010

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