Who would Jesus torture?
First of all, I'd like to give kudos to Congressman Cooper for voting AGAINST the Bush torture bill which sadly did pass in the House.
I've always wondered how a leadership group who claims to be redeemed by the blood of Jesus can so easily justify shedding the blood of others in torturous methods. I'm not talking about waging war or killing others in the course of being at war. I'm talking about THIS.
I'd like to know how any exegesis of the New Testament can possibly be strained or pureed to the point where these folks can stand up and say with the best of their Christian hearts - 'Jesus understands when we waterboard'
I understand that Bush and his folks have a duty to protect us from terrorists. That is supposedly why we attacked the Taliban in Afghanistan. Sadly, we seem to be losing ground on that front, along with losing our moral standing when we continue to endorse torturous behaviour. That's not just me talking - progressive that I am - those are the the words of Colin Powell, and many others who would not be described as liberals or progressives.
I wish that the magazine 'Christianity Today' would make it to the bedstand of Bush and his Christian crusaders for a little nighttime reading. There's a great article by a professor at Union University (in Jackson, TN.) The professor, David Gushee, writes in bold letters: 5 Reasons Torture Is Always Wrong. He finishes his article with a call to evangelical Christians:
It is past time for evangelical Christians to remind our government and our society of perennial moral values, which also happen to be international and domestic laws. As Christians, we care about moral values, and we vote on the basis of such values. We care deeply about human-rights violations around the world. Now it is time to raise our voice and say an unequivocal no to torture, a practice that has no place in our society and violates our most cherished moral convictions.
I ask ya again, Who would Jesus torture?
