This is disgusting:
Amid intense public debate over the use of torture against suspected terrorists, an analysis by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life of a new survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press illustrates differences in the views of four major religious traditions in the U.S. about whether torture of suspected terrorists can be justified. Differences in opinion on this issue also are apparent based on frequency of attendance at religious services.
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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Chuck Warnock and I each took a shot at this, too.
I think that Chuck summed it up best when he said that if this is the best we can do, we should just stay home on Sundays.
Love your enemies, walk an extra mile, turn the other cheek, and TORTURE!
Sigh …
Chuck Warnock and I each took a shot at this, too.
I think that Chuck summed it up best when he said that if this is the best we can do, we should just stay home on Sundays.
Love your enemies, walk an extra mile, turn the other cheek, and TORTURE!
Sigh …
Why does nobody care that the sample size is only 742?? And that it only contains answers from white Christians and white non-religious people. Only 742, only white…this does not a reliable study make.
Why does nobody care that the sample size is only 742?? And that it only contains answers from white Christians and white non-religious people. Only 742, only white…this does not a reliable study make.
I agree, I thought about all these people buying up all the guns and ammo, and thought If some one were hungry and had to steal to feed their family,would someone just point at them and shoot to kill? I could not.. I think that if you do ,you would lose your place in Heaven..
I agree, I thought about all these people buying up all the guns and ammo, and thought If some one were hungry and had to steal to feed their family,would someone just point at them and shoot to kill? I could not.. I think that if you do ,you would lose your place in Heaven..
Brittany,
In my own blog post, I remarked about the small sample size.
Sadly, however, it does jive with my own experience talking to Christians in my own church.
Brittany,
In my own blog post, I remarked about the small sample size.
Sadly, however, it does jive with my own experience talking to Christians in my own church.
The bigger question is, what exactly do you consider torture?
Is waterboarding torture? The devils advocate in me would have to ask, Those that are against it, then how do they justify war with killings, and bombings etc… So obviously its OK to kill, just not torture? Lastly, then if torture by somes definition is making someone merely feel pain, how do these same individuals justify abortion?
The bigger question is, what exactly do you consider torture?
Is waterboarding torture? The devils advocate in me would have to ask, Those that are against it, then how do they justify war with killings, and bombings etc… So obviously its OK to kill, just not torture? Lastly, then if torture by somes definition is making someone merely feel pain, how do these same individuals justify abortion?
Jeff – going out of your way a bit, eh? Waterboarding has been considered torture by the U.S. for a long time. I do not believe in war, except in self-defense, and that is pressing it. Do you believe in war-based killing? If you do, is it okay to make them suffer, say by taking a hot knife and slicing open their belly, ripping out their intestines and making them walk, or dragging them, away from you so that every internal organ is pulled out in front of their eyes? Or perhaps drawing and quartering them? I mean, since we have to kill in war, then their must be no rules in war, right?
Before anyone thinks that I dwell on murder – the above method was a way which the Vikings use dot use on captured warriors.
Further, not everyone who is against torture is pro-abortion. That is a very silly generalization. Further, if you are truly pro-life, then you should be anti-torture. Torture is not about inflicting pain, as then anything could be counted as that. Instead, torture has been clearly defined by the U.S. Government, expect for W., who didn’t read the rules anyway.
War is a necessary evil. God Himself had Israel to do so in the Bible. I am referring mainly to the Attitude.
If in fact you can justify war, then there is at least room in ones mind then for acceptable torture tactics. Besides, your assumption that anyone would torture someone in the manner in which you describe is a bit over the top. But my feels are this way, if the tactics are uncomfortable, don’t cause permanent injury, then I believe its fine to convince one to give over information in this way.
Regarding my abortion statement, you are making assumptions that I didn’t apply. I merely suggest that there are people in the US who think think torture is bad and we should not do it, while at the same time holding the same belief that abortion is OK.
Then the conversation really goes back to my original question, What is torture? If you recall I never condoned or condemned waterboarding but merely ask. What is acceptable in a time of war regarding a suspected or confirmed war criminal?
War is a necessary evil. God Himself had Israel to do so in the Bible. I am referring mainly to the Attitude.
If in fact you can justify war, then there is at least room in ones mind then for acceptable torture tactics. Besides, your assumption that anyone would torture someone in the manner in which you describe is a bit over the top. But my feels are this way, if the tactics are uncomfortable, don’t cause permanent injury, then I believe its fine to convince one to give over information in this way.
Regarding my abortion statement, you are making assumptions that I didn’t apply. I merely suggest that there are people in the US who think think torture is bad and we should not do it, while at the same time holding the same belief that abortion is OK.
Then the conversation really goes back to my original question, What is torture? If you recall I never condoned or condemned waterboarding but merely ask. What is acceptable in a time of war regarding a suspected or confirmed war criminal?
Jeff, When Israel made war, they also had certain things to follow – yet and anyone with a right mind about these things should understand that we are under Grace, and while Israel was established as a theocracy, the Church was never meant to control a secular government.
Further, if war is made in self-defense, and that is deemed justifiable, then how does torture come into play? It may in your mind, but this country did not entertain the thought for two hundred years.
I was describing torture. I was describing war-based killing. If we can kill in war, then we should abandon any civilized methods in doing so.
Define permanent injury. Look at John McCain, who was water boarded. Further, although it is yet to be proven, I wonder who the torturers will find their mental state in the years coming from now.
There are people who think torture good who would not feed the hungry. Does that mean all those that approve of torture lack compassion. There are those that approve of torture who are pro-life. You statement is in bad taste and a generalization that does not belong.
I do not believe in torture period. If we capture enemy soldiers, then imprison them. If the person is a war criminal, as we did after WWII, they should be tried.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterboarding
You are making a lot of assumptions to mere statements. A simple statement, War is a necessary evil. I don’t like it but some times whether by force or choice you get involved. Again, Whether I like it or not torture is apart of war. Its just a statement, I’ll remind you again, I’ve never stated whether I approve or not, I’ve purposefully attempted to remain neutral.
For the record, No I don’t believe in harming others (including waterboarding) but if information can be obtained from individuals with some discomfort, then no I don’t have issues with that. Waterbording is a Physiological form of torture which has been outlawed regarding the military but not non military entities such as the CIA etc…
I merely wanted an honest discussion on what was permissible and what was not, what was torture and what was not. If you read my original statement carefully I said, playing the devils advocate.
You are making a lot of assumptions to mere statements. A simple statement, War is a necessary evil. I don’t like it but some times whether by force or choice you get involved. Again, Whether I like it or not torture is apart of war. Its just a statement, I’ll remind you again, I’ve never stated whether I approve or not, I’ve purposefully attempted to remain neutral.
For the record, No I don’t believe in harming others (including waterboarding) but if information can be obtained from individuals with some discomfort, then no I don’t have issues with that. Waterbording is a Physiological form of torture which has been outlawed regarding the military but not non military entities such as the CIA etc…
I merely wanted an honest discussion on what was permissible and what was not, what was torture and what was not. If you read my original statement carefully I said, playing the devils advocate.
Jeff – going out of your way a bit, eh? Waterboarding has been considered torture by the U.S. for a long time. I do not believe in war, except in self-defense, and that is pressing it. Do you believe in war-based killing? If you do, is it okay to make them suffer, say by taking a hot knife and slicing open their belly, ripping out their intestines and making them walk, or dragging them, away from you so that every internal organ is pulled out in front of their eyes? Or perhaps drawing and quartering them? I mean, since we have to kill in war, then their must be no rules in war, right?
Before anyone thinks that I dwell on murder – the above method was a way which the Vikings use dot use on captured warriors.
Further, not everyone who is against torture is pro-abortion. That is a very silly generalization. Further, if you are truly pro-life, then you should be anti-torture. Torture is not about inflicting pain, as then anything could be counted as that. Instead, torture has been clearly defined by the U.S. Government, expect for W., who didn’t read the rules anyway.
Jeff, When Israel made war, they also had certain things to follow – yet and anyone with a right mind about these things should understand that we are under Grace, and while Israel was established as a theocracy, the Church was never meant to control a secular government.
Further, if war is made in self-defense, and that is deemed justifiable, then how does torture come into play? It may in your mind, but this country did not entertain the thought for two hundred years.
I was describing torture. I was describing war-based killing. If we can kill in war, then we should abandon any civilized methods in doing so.
Define permanent injury. Look at John McCain, who was water boarded. Further, although it is yet to be proven, I wonder who the torturers will find their mental state in the years coming from now.
There are people who think torture good who would not feed the hungry. Does that mean all those that approve of torture lack compassion. There are those that approve of torture who are pro-life. You statement is in bad taste and a generalization that does not belong.
I do not believe in torture period. If we capture enemy soldiers, then imprison them. If the person is a war criminal, as we did after WWII, they should be tried.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterboarding