How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
…Jesus' challenge to the nonpoor, she emphasized, was to relinquish their affluence, and to share their resources with the dispossessed. (1.19)
Jesus demands that Christians identify with the poor and the powerless. Does that describe Pat and Robert? They obviously had some power—they were murderers. But neither has much money, which is one reason they end up on Death Row. On top of that, both of them grew up poor and way underprivileged. Prejean thinks her faith demands that she identify and work with the poor—even the undeserving poor. Even the poor who have done terrible things.
Quote #2
Before I had asked God to right the wrongs and comfort the suffering. Now I know—really know—that God entrusts those tasks to us. (1.45)
Sometimes religion can be used as a way to uphold the status quo. "If God wanted things different, he'd have made them different," some people say; or, "If he wanted there to be no poor people, he'd make everyone rich." Prejean rejects these ideas. According to her, it's up to humans to fight injustice and end suffering. Christianity for her requires you to work for justice and peace and not just be satisfied with the way things are.
Quote #3
He is strictly an old-school, pre-Vatican Catholic, and he shows me a pamphlet on sexual purity and modesty of dress that he distributes to the prisoners. (2.13)
Not all Christians necessarily see things the way Prejean does. Not even all Catholics do: the Catholic priest at Angola isn't much for siding with the poor and changing the world. He's more concerned that Prejean doesn't wear a habit than he is about ending the death penalty. Prejean politely and quietly seems to think he's an idiot (which may be why she doesn't mention his name; she's trying not to single him out and say publicly so everyone can hear that he's an idiot).