Retired Minister Emeritus, the Reverend Viola Moore
Dear Members and Friends,
The death penalty is much in the news now and we as citizens have to think about how we will vote about the death penalty. We are the only so-called civilized country in the world that uses the death penalty and I think we as religious people should do everything in our power to eliminate it.
Statisti
cs show that the death penalty is no deterrent to crime and hideous mistakes often occur when we put an innocent person to death. We should call our senators and representatives and tell them how strongly we oppose the death penalty.
The anti-death penalty people seem to be in the minority but the time has come when we as a democratic nation must declare our opposition.
There so much talk about how holy human life is and we must do everything to preserve a life in the womb. It is interesting to look at the list of nations who still use the death penalty, such as China, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.
These are people in the world community with whom we do not wish to be classified. As free citizens, we must resist those pressures to keep the death penalty even though some people think it really is a deterrent to crime.
Let us write our representatives and let them know where we stand on the issue, and that we will not support candidates who insist on keeping the death penalty. It is being discussed widely in the country, and I hope we will join the debate that we cannot claim to be a civilized country as long we simply have a policy that wicked people need to be punished!
You may be wondering how I am thriving in my new home and how I am handling the inner turbulence caused by this radical change in my life. I welcome the challenge to make the most of these last days. This week I am beginning a group in my retirement home called “Theological Questions.” A young musicologist who lived with us on Harper Avenue called me up to suggest I start a group where I am as a way to get to know people at a deeper level than the usual dinner table talk I hear daily. It’s not enough to keep the mind alive the way it is. I will try to explore the spiritual adventures of my neighbors.
As you might suspect, there are very few Unitarians in a Methodist retirement home, but I have found two. Ann Arbor has a very large and lively Unitarian Church with a plethora of programs and challenges.
I enjoy attending the First Methodist Church in Ann Arbor because of its great musical program. The quality of the Sunday music reminds me of the music at First Unitarian Chicago, which was part of my life for over fifty years.
This is my mailing address beginning in December, 2015; I cherish all the pastoral letters you’ve sent me and would love to hear more from you.
Love,
Viola
Viola L. Moore
University Living
2865 S. Main Street, Apt. 244
Ann Arbor MI 48103
Telephone: 734-997-6734
