Christian leaders are divided over plans to livestream the firing-squad execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 others in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting.
Hasan, who served as an Army psychiatrist, represented himself during his 2013 military trial, acknowledged carrying out the attack and was sentenced to death.
Pentagon officials have said Hasan is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on Dec. 3, with a public livestream under consideration.
Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, questioned the criticism surrounding the proposed broadcast and contrasted it with depictions of violence in popular entertainment.
“There are a lot of strong opinions out there about live-streaming the execution of a convicted mass killer. I don’t know where that debate will land, but some network news shows were saying how disgusted they were and how terrible it is. I found it ironic that many who embrace Hollywood and its culture of death that is constantly depicting murders, rapes, and all kinds of violence — all in the name of entertainment — are saying they’re so appalled at this. Have we become desensitized to death? What are your thoughts?” Graham wrote in a Facebook post Sunday morning.
Pastor Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of First Baptist Dallas, voiced support for a public execution in a social media post Friday.
Jeffress wrote that God established capital punishment in Genesis 9:6 to emphasize the sacredness of human life. “The more people that can see that truth illustrated through a public execution, the better,” he wrote.
Josh Howerton, senior pastor of Lakepointe Church in Rockwall, Texas, wrote on X that he “hesitantly” observed that executions described in the Bible were public, citing Leviticus. He later clarified that he was not arguing that governments are always required to conduct executions publicly or that doing so is always wise, but said the practice could not be considered unbiblical.
Other Christian leaders have strongly opposed the proposed broadcast.
The Most Rev. Sean Rowe, presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church, described a livestreamed firing-squad execution as “reprehensible in the extreme” and said it would cause moral harm to those involved. The Episcopal Church has long opposed capital punishment and recently called for an immediate moratorium.
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and archbishop of Oklahoma City, said he learned of the decision “with shock and great sorrow” and called it “a barbaric promotion of a culture of death” that should be reconsidered, according to The Catholic Herald.
Coakley said nothing could excuse Hasan’s actions and cited Romans 12:17, which warns against repaying evil for evil.
Hasan’s execution is scheduled for Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. CT at Fort Hood.
President Donald Trump said Saturday that he would make the final decision on whether the execution will be broadcast after criticism from both Republicans and Democrats, according to The Hill.
