Summit Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) endorses the New Jersey Death Penalty Moratorium Resolution. We have long been opposed to capital punishment, based on our belief that there is that of God in every person and that no one is totally beyond redemption. We urge complete abolition of the death penalty. Nevertheless, we welcome a temporary halt in executions and the study of all issues surrounding the death penalty called for in the Resolution, including concern for victims’ families.

We agree with the Resolution’s Judgment that the death penalty is unjustly applied. We emphasize that our primary concern is that in carrying out executions, the state reverts to the same level of violence that characterizes the actions of the accused. Executions by the state “degrades the humanity of the executioners and of the society that endorses the act.” ( 1995 edition. Faith and Practice, New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, p.40)

Chatham-Summit Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, Chatham, NJ