Life and Life to the Fullest

Now more than ever, the Catholic Church needs to be the prophetic voice of the sanctity of life and human dignity. It is not only the secular culture that needs to hear this voice but also our protestant brethren. Alabama is a stronghold of conservative values, and evangelicals in the state still enjoy a significant Christian majority. According to U.S. News Pew [research], 77 percent of Alabama adults are highly religious because 82 percent of adults say they believe in God with absolute certainty, while 73 percent pray daily. Of Alabama adults, 86 percent are Christian, 12 percent are unaffiliated with any religion, and about 1 percent are non-Christian faiths. If this is true, why are Alabamians so misguided when it comes to the sanctity of life?

The state's administration of the death penalty has recently drawn international attention, shedding light on a history marked by numerous questionable executions over the past few decades. In 1992, Cornelius Singleton, classified as "moderately mentally retarded" according to the DSM with an IQ of 55, was executed. Similarly, in 2010, Holly Wood faced execution despite compelling evidence of intellectual disability. Walter Moody's execution in 2018 at the age of 83 made headlines as the oldest since executions resumed in 1977.

The most recent case involving Kenny Smith underscores the grim realities. Following a failed lethal injection attempt 14 months prior, the state subjected him to a harrowing twenty-two minutes of slow suffocation with nitrogen gas, potentially violating his 8th Amendment right against cruel and unusual punishment. Witnesses described the night as inhumane, with United Nations experts condemning it as torture.

This disturbing pattern is perpetuated by an outdated policy known as judicial override, allowing a judge to override a jury's decision for a life sentence. Alabama, being the last U.S. state to outlaw this practice, did not retroactively reassess cases determined by judicial override, leaving inmates like Kenny Smith without the amnesty they would be afforded if tried today. Thirty more inmates, including Rocky Myers, a Black man with intellectual disabilities, face uncertain fates. Despite minimal evidence tying Myers to the crime and numerous irregularities during his proceedings, his unappealable federal conviction leaves him little hope for further adjudication through the courts. Moreover, Myers' case involves reprehensible conduct by his lawyer, later sanctioned by the Alabama State Bar, further highlighting the systemic issues within the state's capital punishment system. There is an ongoing petition to pardon the other 30 inmates on death row who were placed there by judicial override.

Regarding the Catholic Church's stance, the Catechism, in paragraph 2267, states: "Recourse to the death penalty on the part of legitimate authority, following a fair trial, was long considered an appropriate response to the gravity of certain crimes and an acceptable, albeit extreme, means of safeguarding the common good. Today, however, there is an increasing awareness that a person's dignity is not lost even after committing grave crimes. In addition, a new understanding of the significance of penal sanctions imposed by the state has emerged. Lastly, states have developed more effective detention systems ensuring the due protection of citizens but, at the same time, do not definitively deprive the guilty of the possibility of redemption. Consequently, the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that 'the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.' She works with determination for its abolition worldwide." This position on capital punishment has not been taught infallibly. The Church has taught otherwise for much of Her history, so people have legitimate reasons to disagree. Still, it speaks to the gravity of the topic and the severity of any decision to take a life.

American Evangelicals are often known for their strong support of the death penalty, a stance that the Catholic Church urges them to reconsider. Despite this difference, both Evangelicals and Catholics frequently align on matters related to the right to life and the fight against abortion. However, the absence of an infallible magisterium in Protestantism leads to inconsistencies in their views on issues such as sex and the unborn.

A recent illustration of this inconsistency is the Alabama Supreme Court's ruling, declaring that babies conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF) must be treated as human beings, prohibiting their freezing or discarding and effectively putting an end to IVF in the state. While many Catholics celebrated this decision as a victory, it was met with lamentation by Protestants, including the openly Christian Senator Katie Britt, who emphasized her Christian faith in campaign ads. Senator Britt vowed to swiftly introduce legislation to ensure the resumption of IVF "treatments."

The perplexing question arises: How can two groups, both advocating for the dignity of human life and professing belief in the same God and divine laws, have such stark differences in their perspectives on sex, babies, the family, and the taking of human life? It would be reductionistic to say the reason is that the Catholic Church is who She says She is and that protestant teaching lost divine protection when they departed. That fact alone can't explain why the protestants have gotten things wrong. Still, from a Catholic perspective, it does explain why such a divide is possible.

Despite the disparities, Catholics and Protestants share common ground, desires, and a mutual pursuit of similar goals. Praise God for that, but much has been given to us and will be demanded. The Catholic Church has been entrusted with the fullness of God's revelation as it pertains to human life and flourishing. It is essential to recognize the responsibility given by God to proclaim the full message of the Gospel to everyone who doesn't have it, including our Protestant brothers and sisters.