About Us

MISSION

California People of Faith Working Against the Death Penalty works to educate and mobilize faith communities to act to abolish the death penalty in California.

PHILOSOPHY

CPF is a statewide interfaith organization. We reach out to all citizens regardless of faith, race, ethnic group, sexual orientation, income, political affiliation, age or ability. Our members include Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and people from other faith traditions. As communities of faith, we join together to take responsibility for the killing of our citizens by the State of California.

We work with faith communities across California, taking on serious questions from the points of view of the community, victims and offenders. We are deeply disturbed by violent crime and by the suffering of its victims and their families. We work closely with Murder Victims Families for Human Rights and Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation. We recognize and remember the victims.

As people of faith, we believe that the God/Wisdom of all faiths calls us to something more: a high and often difficult standard of love and forgiveness and justice that is rooted not in retribution but rather in redemption and restoration. The death penalty denies the sacredness of human life. Spiritually, the death penalty robs us all.

We simply and fundamentally believe the death penalty is not and never will be the solution to violence in our society. The death penalty system is inequitable and unfair in its implementation. It is racist, predisposed to executing the poor and destitute among us. It is more costly than permanent incarceration.

As we invest in vengeance in this society, we divest in compassion. As we support retribution, we neglect restorative justice. We cannot be a community of compassion and unity if we choose to destroy one another, or if we allow the state to do it for us.

CPF depends upon member contributions and donations from faith communities and individuals. Please call on us to help you. Please join us.