I heard a most unusual and upsetting statistic today on NPR: a majority of churchgoers favor the use of torture in certain circumstances.
Now, maybe it's just me, but I'm a regular churchgoer, but my understanding of the 10 Commandments differs. Granted there is no commandment: "Thou shalt not torture." But Jesus said "Love thy neighbor as thyself." All in all, I can find no reason to deliberately torture a human being. Period. Under any circumstances.
A commentator on NPR mentioned that there may be other factors contributing to this statistic. Perhaps those self-identifying as "regular churchgoers" then to be Republicans. Maybe they really believe terrorists are uniquely evil and in that there's a loophole. Who knows, but I, for one, don't understand it.
Torture is never acceptable. Period
I've read in the Bible various references to, as well as instances of torture. "And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick-kiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon."- 2 Samuel 12:31 "And he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. Even so dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon."- 1 Chronicles 20:3 "And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors."- Matthew 18:34 "The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes."- Luke 12:46-48 I do not agree with employing physical torture as part of enhanced interrogation techniques. But it would appear that even more severe acts were sanctioned in the Bible.
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