I am grateful for Jon Feinberg's excellent articles about the death penalty in Monday's Daily Collegian. I am concerned, however, about a slight misrepresentation of something I said in an interview for one of the articles. Jon reported that the denomination I represent "released statements that agree with the death penalty, but it encourages the state not to use that right." What I actually said was that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America asserts that while the state has the God-given right to take human life, the employment of the death penalty at present is a misuse of God's mandate to the state to wield its power for the sake of freedom, order and justice. This is, of course, a slight, but significant difference. Simply put, our denomination does not agree with the death penalty.

The reasons for this position, as alluded to in the Collegian article are that (1) the death penalty in this country falls disproportionately upon those least able to defend themselves, (2) the death penalty makes irrevocable any miscarriage of justice, and (3) it ends any possibility of restoring the convicted person to effective and productive citizenship. In addition, there is very little convincing evidence from any quarter that capital punishment is an effective deterrent to crime. In other words, the state's mandate to protect its citizens and to maintain freedom, justice and public order overrides its right to take life.

Consequently, Lutheran Christians are encouraged to work toward the abolition of capital punishment, to work toward the improvement of the total system of criminal justice, and to work toward the alleviation of the social conditions which breed hostility toward society and disrespect for the law.

Thanks for the chance to clarify our denominations's (and my own) position.