Who Would Jesus Torture?
Patriotic advocates of the use of torture in the United States often argue, “If it saves American lives, why not?”
Assuming I buy into the premise (I don’t), shouldn’t I do everything possible to insure the information I get from torture is entirely reliable? Doesn’t it defeat my purpose if the intelligence I derive from my physical and psychological violence is faulty — or worse, entirely erroneous?
Apparently not, if I am using techniques developed by the Chinese Communists in 1957 to obtain false confessions from American prisoners of war.
(Why should American interrogators want to elicit false confessions from prisoners unless it is to establish a nonexistent link between Al Qaeda and Iraq to justify a war in progress that turned up zero weapons of mass destruction?)
There are not words enough to express my utter dismay at how the principles of the American people have diminished during seven years of the Bush administration. How in good conscience can John McCain criticize the human rights record of Columbia when his own back yard is fouled by human rights indecencies?
Am I missing something? Does being a citizen of the United States entitle me to brutalize citizens of other nations simply because I happen to be born here? Because of an accident of genetics?
Torture? I have an idea. Let’s force feed the pages of Matthew 5-7 to the next person who insists the United States is a Christian nation or who claims George W. Bush is a Christian president.
“But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also…. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you….”
What would Jesus do? Apparently the question is not applied if it interferes with building an American empire.
Who Would Jesus Torture? has 5 responses
jeff says:
2 July 2008 at 11:50 am
“interferes with building an American empire”
REALLY SHOULD READ
“interferes with MAINTAINING THE American empire”
tammy says:
2 July 2008 at 12:03 pm
If we believe that Jesus said “for as much as you have done it unto the least of my brethren you have done it unto me” and then “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” - what happens to all of us now that we know what we’ve done?
Jim says:
2 July 2008 at 3:38 pm
Two fallacies:
Fallacy #1:
At the basest level, it is not important that Christians follow the simple teachings of Jesus. What is important is that they believe that Jesus died as a sacrifice for their sins and has risen (in the flesh) to sit at the side of God.
So presenting anything from Matthew, Mark, or Luke is trumped by John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
“What would Jesus do?” Who cares? say the masses.
‘nuff said.
Fallacy #2:
Torture and other travesties of human rights are anathema to the United States of America. Again, we give this lip service, just ask:
— the original American Indians (and subsequent generations);
— the African Negroes (and subsequent generations);
— female citizens before suffrage;
— the World War II residents of Dresden and Hiroshima and Nagasaki;
— the torture victims of our Vietnamese and Korean allies (we taught, never participated *wink*);
— the families and friends of the students of Kent State;
— the Branch Davidians or Randy Weaver and his family;
— the prisoners of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo (and other secret prisons of the War on Terror);
— and others.
The Colombians have nothing on us.
Jim says:
2 July 2008 at 4:36 pm
I’m with you, Harry. As a matter of fact when people ask where I stand politically I generally respond, “I’m a Radical Constitutionalist.”
I follow with, “The Constitution isn’t perfect, but it’s better than anything we’ve tried yet.”
I also try to be a “Christian” in the only way that Jesus would recognize, and try to learn and apply what he taught.
I got a little jaded about a decade ago when I went to speak to my pastor (http://www.intheyoke.com/) about my doubts about the canonization of the Bible and the resurrection of Jesus. I felt bad for the guy; I had more questions than he could answer.
Finally he said, “Have you ever accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?”
“Yes.”
“Good, that’s good. Jesus is not afraid of your curiosity. Go, and know that He’ll be there and we’ll be here when you’re ready to come back.”
He put his hand on my shoulder and lead me out of his office. I went home and told my wife that I wouldn’t be going to church with her anymore.
Harry Haller says:
2 July 2008 at 4:12 pm
Jim: While I agree with both your points, as a Constitutionalist (and believing we should strictly honor treaties we have made with other nations) I can always hope for more.
I will quote, in defense of the Sermon on the Mount, another portion of John’s gospel: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” That whole believing equals a free pass thing has been debated since the beginning of Christendom, and I won’t step into the fray, though it does seem to me that obedience enters into the equation somewhere. Frankly, all that megachurch rah-rah Jesus stuff scares hell out of me.