Here is a headline that really disturbed me:
Churchgoers More Likely to Back Torture
The actual story describes results of a pitifully small and probably misleading survey.
But still, the idea that 6 out of 10, or even 4 out of 10, of anybody could believe that torture might "sometimes" be justified...
...is a very, very sad commentary on our society.
Churchgoers More Likely to Back Torture
The actual story describes results of a pitifully small and probably misleading survey.
But still, the idea that 6 out of 10, or even 4 out of 10, of anybody could believe that torture might "sometimes" be justified...
...is a very, very sad commentary on our society.
6 comments:
That one person in a million could or would try to justify torturing a fellow human being for any reason is unimaginable to me.
When you consider the passage in Matthew "as you have done to the least of these you have done to me" it's even more appalling to hear these responses from those who call themselves "Christians."
It's no coincidence that the people being tortured (from Vietnam to War on Terror) are brown, not white. Article in May 4 Time says U.S. sacrificed its moral authority for nothing. "The crucial point is that even the communists suspected that torture can't be relied on to produce more than false confessions--because people will say anything to make the pain stop." Persuasion is more effective than coercion and torture won't get us any closer to uncovering the next attack. Okay, good to know and powerful ammo for those evangelicals, but I agree with you and Jackie--the crucial point is that torture is savage, barbaric, inhumane, and simply never justified.
*debbi*
Human beings torture other human beings for primitive reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with obtaining information. Dominance...revenge...power...pure evil, for which we seem to have an amazing affinity.
Sometimes I wonder how the human race has survived as long as it has.
When I told my husband about your post, he added that when the Viet Cong and Japanese tortured during those wars, it was to keep the other prisoners in line, never for info., so he definitely agrees with you. And I'm sure you're right that the CIA/US Military/Bush Admin sanctioned torture for power/revenger & to keep the other detainees in line as much (or more?) than what was told us (meaning the U.S. citizens)--to protect us from Al Qaida's next attack.
Debbi
I don't really understand the point of singling out "churchgoers" in regards to torture. That it is not unacceptable PERIOD is beyond my imagination. Like the rest of you, I believe it it much more about domination and control and "proof" of power. To me, the fact that anyone (much less our national leaders) found it acceptable is terrifying. How could anyone who can be justify torture be trusted with the safety of the world? We are lucky we survived the last 8 years.
That headline, sadly, did not surprise me. Maybe it's because I live in the Bible Belt and work with a bunch of conservatives, but it's been my observation that my church attending, bible thumping colleagues are much harsher in their judgments (and much more comfortable making judgments) than I, a cheerful agnostic, could ever be.
Post a Comment