On April 16, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case challenging the constitutionality of a Louisiana statute that allows for the death penalty in cases involving child rape.

Few public policy issues have inflamed passions as consistently and as strongly as the debate over capital punishment. Religious communities have been deeply involved on both sides of the issue, drawing on teachings and traditions that define justice and the dignity of human life.

The Pew Forum, together with the Federalist Society and the Constitution Project, recently held an event examining the application, morality and constitutionality of the death penalty in the United States, focusing on issues such as habeas corpus ...