Editorial

In recent years, many Catholics have reconsidered their position on the death penalty - thanks in good part to church efforts to educate Catholics about this issue.

In past polls, Catholic support for the death penalty has mirrored the American public at close to 70 percent. But recent surveys have revealed that less than half of Catholics (about 48 percent) expressed support for the death penalty.

Church opposition. Since 1974, the bishops and the U.S. Catholic Conference have issued statements and documents expressing opposition to capital punishment. In 1980, in their last major statement, the bishops urged abolition of the practice saying, "We believe that in the conditions of contemporary American society, the legitimate purposes of punishment do not justify the imposition of the death penalty."

Twenty-five years later, the bishops will consider a new major statement on the death penalty at their meeting this November. Unlike the 1980 statement which called for outright abolition of capital punishment, the proposed 2005 version focuses on reasons not to use the death penalty. This year's proposed statement says it "it time to turn away from a deeply flawed system of state-sponsored killing toward a way of protecting society and punishing the truly guilty that reflects society's best values."

The Catholic bishops have already been promoting opposition to capital punishment this year. In March of 2005 the bishops launched a "Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty." This campaign asks people to pray for victims of crime and their families and to reach out to support them. It also calls for educating people about church teaching on the death penalty and criminal justice; working for legislation to end capital punishment; and changing the debate in favor of defending life.

Pro-life emphasis. What's interesting is that the bishops' new campaign has been carried out by the USCCB's Department of Social Development and World Peace - the office traditionally expressing opposition to the death penalty - along with the Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities. This shows that this cause unites the social justice and pro-life convictions in opposition to the death penalty. "We are called to respect human life in all ages, and in all circumstances," said Gail Quinn of the pro-life office. "I hope that Catholics will increasingly speak to their belief that the use of the death penalty in this nation must cease."

In past years, people working against abortion and those working against the death penalty were sometimes in different "camps." It is good to see that Catholics are more united on working to defend life at every level.

Why oppose death penalty? The bishops give four main reasons to oppose the death penalty:

• There are other ways to punish criminals and protect society.

• The application of capital punishment is deeply flawed and can be irreversibly wrong. It is prone to errors and often biased.

• State-sanctioned killing diminishes all people.

• The penalty of execution undermines respect for human life and dignity.

Wisconsin abolished the death penalty in 1853. We live in the state with the longest unbroken tradition of no capital punishment. Now it is time for our entire nation to reject the death penalty on our way to building a true culture of life in this country.

Mary C. Uhler

Mailbag

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Ban promotes ethical research

To the editor:

Governor Doyle claims that Assembly Bill (AB) 499, the Comprehensive Human Cloning Ban, would hinder medical research in Wisconsin by obstructing stem cell research. This is simply not true, and if the governor would read the bill, he would have to agree. Assembly Bill 499 prohibits neither human embryonic stem cell research nor adult stem cell research. What it does prohibit is somatic cell nuclear transfer, or SCNT, which is simply the scientific name for the human cloning process.

Unlike Stanford University, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are not creating human embryonic stem cells through "therapeutic cloning." Rather, they are using embryonic stem cells extracted from embryos originally obtained from in vitro fertilization clinics. While Pro-Life Wisconsin condemns the destruction of in vitro human embryos for their stem cells, AB 499 would not affect this activity.

Supporters of human cloning play verbal games and resort to half-truths, saying they support cloning only to "produce stem cells" and touting their huge potential for curing human disease. Evaded is the fact that human embryos must first be created and then killed in order to "produce" those stem cells. Hidden is the fact that human embryonic stem cells have never helped a human patient.

Wisconsinites deserve the assurance that their state can build on its lead in biotechnology without compromising its bioethics. Please urge Governor Doyle to sign AB 499 into law by calling him at 608-266-1212 or e-mailing him through www.prolifewisconsin.org

Matt Sande, Director of Legislative Affairs
Pro-Life Wisconsin, Brookfield

Religion strengthens America

To the editor:

Does not sound public and private morality give honor and strength to America? Is it not equally certain that, without religion there is no true morality, either public or private?

From the family, solidly based on its natural foundations, comes the life, the growth, the energy of society, therefore the energy and principles of our nation. Without religion and morality, family bonds grow weak and waste away. Religion gives our officials their proper feelings of justice and love toward "we the people." It is the same religion that makes upright and good legislators, just and incorruptible judges, brave and heroic soldiers, and conscientious and diligent administrators.

It is religion which produces concord and affection between husband and wife, love and reverence between parents and their children, which makes the poor respect the property of others and causes the rich to make right use of their wealth. From this fidelity to duty and this respect for the rights of others come the order, the tranquility, and the peace, which should be the bedrock of this nation.

It is my hope that the influence of religion in America will increase.

Jim Holden, Watertown

Urge governor to sign cloning ban

To Governor James Doyle:

I urge you to sign Assembly Bill 499 (the ban on human cloning). We know this is morally wrong. Cloning human embryos for any reason is not in God's plan. He alone is our maker and creator. This could become just another monster of greed as have so many things in this world of ours today.

Also, we wish you could reconsider spending our money on embryonic stem cell research, when so much success is already realized with adult stem cell research. This is where the money should be spent. Thank you, Mr. Governor.

Mr. and Mrs. Lyle E. Klockow, Johnson Creek