The Bishops of West Virginia came out with a strong statement on many legislative life issues today, including the expansion of the death penalty. Here is a portion of their statement:
"All human life is a gift from God. We must confront a culture that honors violent solutions to complex social issues – abortion to address difficult pregnancies, euthanasia and assisted suicide to deal with age and illness, and the death penalty to combat crime. In their 1995 Pastoral Letter, "At Home in the Web of Life," the Catholic Bishops of Appalachia counter this "Culture of Death" with a vision of a "Culture of Life." They write that this struggle of all society between a culture of death and a culture of life is also played out at the intimate level in personal relationships. Here the culture of death invades our very souls through addictions and co-dependencies, often leading to abuse and violence, especially against women and children."
