Hannity asked “Do you disagree with your dad at all about enhanced interrogations?”
“My attitude is that if we capture an enemy combatant in the battlefield — or we can use Osama bin Laden — who may have information about a pending attack. You know what, I don’t have any problem taking his head sticking it underwater and scaring the living daylights out of him and making him think we’re drowning him and I’m a Christian,”
Megan McCain disagreed. “I think it’s what separates us from the terrorists . My father could never lift me up as a child because he can’t move his arm. He can’t ride a bike because he can’t bend his knee because he was tortured. I think he knows better,” she said. You have to give Megan kudos for that.
Well, Sean can say what he wants to about his professed belief system, but Jesus Christ, the One Who decides what a Christian is, would disagree about torture,
“You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
“You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren[9] only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:38-48 NKJV)
Joel L. Watts holds a Masters of Arts from United Theological Seminary with a focus in literary and rhetorical criticism of the New Testament. His interests include exploring the role of mimesis in human civilization, specifically in the study of religion and media, as well as science fiction and the way in which it has allowed mythology to be explored in light of scientific discoveries of the past century. He is the author of Mimetic Criticism of the Gospel of Mark: Introduction and Commentary (Wipf and Stock, 2013) and a co-editor and contributor to From Fear to Faith: Stories of Hitting Spiritual Walls (Energion, 2013).
Website: → Unsettled Christianity
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“I think it’s what separates us from the terrorists.”
Absolutely.
And although I know the post was referring to terrorists, and not Muslims in general, I have this further comment:
I lived with Muslims during my time abroad, and was utterly dumbfounded at how they could say their religion was peaceful and misunderstood on the one hand, then turn around and say 911 was a good thing as it brought them more converts and people should be whipped if they offend a Muslim. This from very religious, polite, sober, prayerful Muslims – whose religion is “misunderstood.”
The strength of the Christian message of love and mercy is what also distinguishes a Christian from any other disciple of any other major world faith. The more we preach it, the more we have to live it. Otherwise we sound like the Muslims I lived with – completely hypocritical.
-Alexandra
“I think it’s what separates us from the terrorists.”
Absolutely.
And although I know the post was referring to terrorists, and not Muslims in general, I have this further comment:
I lived with Muslims during my time abroad, and was utterly dumbfounded at how they could say their religion was peaceful and misunderstood on the one hand, then turn around and say 911 was a good thing as it brought them more converts and people should be whipped if they offend a Muslim. This from very religious, polite, sober, prayerful Muslims – whose religion is “misunderstood.”
The strength of the Christian message of love and mercy is what also distinguishes a Christian from any other disciple of any other major world faith. The more we preach it, the more we have to live it. Otherwise we sound like the Muslims I lived with – completely hypocritical.
-Alexandra
Amen, Alexandra.
While I am not a Christian, many Christians share the same values that are important to me.
I have been much dismayed at the support of self-proclaimed Christians for torture.
I want Americans to be the good guys! I want us to stand against torture and hatred and injustice. We should be the shining light of fairness and civilization.
What could be more uncivilized than torture?
Thank you for this posting. It gives me much courage to know that there are Christians out there who do not support the ugly proclamations of the media leaders of the GOP.
While I am not a Christian, many Christians share the same values that are important to me.
I have been much dismayed at the support of self-proclaimed Christians for torture.
I want Americans to be the good guys! I want us to stand against torture and hatred and injustice. We should be the shining light of fairness and civilization.
What could be more uncivilized than torture?
Thank you for this posting. It gives me much courage to know that there are Christians out there who do not support the ugly proclamations of the media leaders of the GOP.
Sherry, I cannot support torture – we as Americans and we as Christians must never condone such an ugly crime.
I can understand the desire to use whatever tools are available to gather information and protect innocents. But just because we have the ability to do something does not mean we have the right to do it. We need to love others and torture does not show love in any way. No one should torture others. But especially those who claim to love God and love others, as Christians are called to do. If the military can justify torture, then we’ve got something wrong with our military.
But as so many want to point out, America is NOT a Christian nation. It has become a secular nation. We are NOT guided by the love of God, although I think we should be. So does that mean the military should be able to be amoral or immoral?
I find myself torn. I’ve been in the military. I want people protected. I want to bury my head and pretend I don’t know about what happens. I want there to be people who will do the things I find offensive to protect our country.
But if I were do so, I would not be the person God has called me to be. We are to show the love of God and not encourage to others do things God does not want done. So we need to step up and not condone poor behavior, even if the people who commit said behavior are not Christian, but especially if those people ARE Christian. I need to pray that God change me so I do not want there to be people who would do the things God does not want us to do.
I can understand the desire to use whatever tools are available to gather information and protect innocents. But just because we have the ability to do something does not mean we have the right to do it. We need to love others and torture does not show love in any way. No one should torture others. But especially those who claim to love God and love others, as Christians are called to do. If the military can justify torture, then we’ve got something wrong with our military.
But as so many want to point out, America is NOT a Christian nation. It has become a secular nation. We are NOT guided by the love of God, although I think we should be. So does that mean the military should be able to be amoral or immoral?
I find myself torn. I’ve been in the military. I want people protected. I want to bury my head and pretend I don’t know about what happens. I want there to be people who will do the things I find offensive to protect our country.
But if I were do so, I would not be the person God has called me to be. We are to show the love of God and not encourage to others do things God does not want done. So we need to step up and not condone poor behavior, even if the people who commit said behavior are not Christian, but especially if those people ARE Christian. I need to pray that God change me so I do not want there to be people who would do the things God does not want us to do.
Hannity is one of those people that most disturbs me. He’ll tell you six ways to Sunday that he’s a devout Catholic, but he breaks with their teachings all the time — torture being one of them. His logic runs right to the Ayn Rand-types.
What scares me most is that he’s not the problem, he just illustrates it. Too many American Christians put being American above Christianity in importance.
I liked the lines from the 4Him song “Signs and Wonders” (about how we don’t need them, by the way) — “You are in control/The means will justify the ends.”
How unlike worldly thinking that is! That’s how we’re supposed to live. Too many people fall away from that.
Hannity is one of those people that most disturbs me. He’ll tell you six ways to Sunday that he’s a devout Catholic, but he breaks with their teachings all the time — torture being one of them. His logic runs right to the Ayn Rand-types.
What scares me most is that he’s not the problem, he just illustrates it. Too many American Christians put being American above Christianity in importance.
I liked the lines from the 4Him song “Signs and Wonders” (about how we don’t need them, by the way) — “You are in control/The means will justify the ends.”
How unlike worldly thinking that is! That’s how we’re supposed to live. Too many people fall away from that.
[...] See here. [...]
[...] When Dr. Tiller was murdered on that Sunday morning in his church, many came out in near support of his murderer. This followed a very warm May in which several religious conservative leaders came out in support of torture as something that Jesus would have supported, including Fox News host, Sean Hannity. [...]
Amen, Alexandra.
Sherry, I cannot support torture – we as Americans and we as Christians must never condone such an ugly crime.