The program invites seniors from faith-based San Diego-area high schools to write and deliver sermons or spiritual reflections that would encourage members of their own religious communities to oppose capital punishment. It is included as a template for other schools around the country to use in creating similar programs. As you read, consider doing it for your state, city, school, etc.

San Diego People of Faith Working Against the Death Penalty has embarked on a new abolitionist program, THE FAITH IN ACTION: SCHOLARSHIP & AWARDS COMPETITION.

The program invites seniors from faith-based schools to write and deliver sermons or spiritual reflections that would encourage members of their own religious communities to oppose capital punishment. Finalists will receive cash scholarships ranging from $500 to $2000; other participants will receive gift certificates from vendors such as Barnes & Noble.

There will be two distinct rounds of judging. The first will be the reading and rating of the written sermons. In the second round, those we deem finalists will be required to deliver their sermons before another group of judges, some who have read the submissions and some who have not.

A few weeks after the winners are chosen, all finalists will be honored at an event at which the top three students will deliver their sermons and all the awards and prizes will be handed out. Finalists will be encouraged to bring members of their family and friends as well as their spiritual leaders, pastors, school principals, counselors and favorite teachers.

We selected this project for two reasons: its manageability and ripple effects.

• Manageability: Because there are only 18 faith-based high schools in San Diego and Imperial Counties, we felt that we would have the person-power to communicate the program to the schools; make sure they receive all the information; and, ensure they are following-up as necessary. (Some prize programs in San Diego send invitations to well over 100 schools, and follow-up is very cumbersome.) Without on-going communication with the counselors and/or teachers, it is very possible that our project would wind up at the bottom of a pile of papers unearthed only after the deadline has past.
• Ripple Effect: Students may decide to participate in the competition because of the monetary award. But, quickly, the communication necessary to complete this task creates its own ripple effect. The project begins with a conversation between a counselor or teacher speaking with the student about the death penalty, and, we pray, expands exponentially from there. Specifically, we expect participants to have discussions about state-sanctioned executions with family and friends and seek guidance from spiritual leaders. We are hopeful that they will consult biblical texts, and read one or two secular and non-secular books on the subject.

As well, it is our experience that:

1. conversations between young students and school leaders about capital punishment often encourage principals, counselors, teachers, etc., to hold classes and workshops on the subject. (It has even been the case that some students – with the consent of their teachers — invite elected officials to their classes and speak to them about what they have learned about the death penalty. )
2. conversations between young people and their parents about capital punishment often open the minds of the older adults to anti-death penalty arguments they may have not thought of or listened to before;
3. dialogues between the students and their spiritual leaders allow the latter to reflect more deeply on the issue; and,4. attending an awards’ event at which a young parishioner has been honored, motivates – with a little help from us — a spiritual leader to ask that parishioner to deliver their sermon or spiritual reflection at a congregational service.

Read the Rules for the San Diego event