This morning Governor Chris Sununu vetoed HB 455 which would repeal the application of the death penalty in the state of New Hampshire.

The Executive Director of the New Hampshire Council of Churches, Rev. Jason Wells, had this to say about the veto:

The Council’s many member denominations are diverse in their practice of the Christian faith but are unanimous in regarding capital punishment ‘problematic and unacceptable.’ This belief is rooted in our understanding of the sacredness of God’s gift of life. It is also rooted in the Christian commitment that God can bring redemption to any person, an opportunity which the death penalty closes off.

We thank our Senators and Representatives who have listened not only to the Christian faith on this point, but also to our interfaith partners in the Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist and secular communities who also support repeal.

As we turn our attention to the veto override vote in upcoming weeks, we once again invite those legislators to stand firm in their conviction and resolve to abolish the death penalty in New Hampshire.

For the full statement of the NH Council of Churches on the death penalty, please visit http://nhchurches.org/public-policy-updates-and-alerts/

Further specifics about Christian responses to the death penalty can be found at http://nhchurches.org/repeal2019