Someone gets it: The National Council of Churches takes out a big ad in the New York Times to say that Torture is a Moral Issue. President Carter is one of the signatories.
Amazing that it needs saying.
Even more amazing that a House committee just voted (on second try) to authorize the government to torture away…
And spot all the euphemisms running around: “harsh interrogation techniques,” “enhanced questioning” or “aggressive methods”. It is nothing less than horrible.
I say we should torture them until they admit that we are more civilized an God Fearing.
While some indeed *get it*, others do too, but the other way around. I’m reproducing below the post Brian Tamaha made yesterday over at Balkinization, in relation to the official statement of the Traditional Values Coalition (members: Moral Majority, Christian Voice, Christian Coalition and Family Research Council — representing 43,000 Christian churches accross the USA) on Bush’s proposed *clarification* of statutes and treaties dealing with torture. Prof. Tamanaha says that such position can’t be right. I say it’s appalling.
Traditional Christian Values and Torture
Brian Tamanaha
The following statement was issued by a politically influential Christian organization run by Reverend Louis P. Shelton:
September 18, 2006 – Washington, DC — The Traditional Values Coalition asked members of Congress to support President Bush’s reform of prisoner treatment policies because “this is a war unlike any other we have fought — the enemy is faceless and deliberately attacks the innocent.”
TVC Chairman Rev. Louis P. Sheldon said American military and intelligence experts are hampered by a vague “outrages upon personal dignity” statement in Article Three of the Geneva Convention of 1950.
“We need to clarify this policy for treating detainees,” said Rev. Sheldon. “As it stands right now, the military and intelligence experts interrogating these terrorists are in much greater danger than the terrorists. Civil suits against our military personnel are tying their hands as they try to get vital information which will save the lives of our young military people and the innocent.”
“Our rules for interrogation need to catch-up with this awful new form of war that is being fought against all of us and the free world. The post -World War II standards do not apply to this new war.
“We must redefine how our lawful society treats those who have nothing but contempt for the law and rely on terrorizing the innocent to accomplish their objectives. The lines must be redrawn and then we must pursue these criminals as quickly and as aggressively as the law permits.
“And since this debate is, at its very core, about preserving the traditional value of prosecuting injustice and protecting the innocent, TVC will score this vote in both the House and the Senate. We encourage all of our supporters and affiliated churches to contact their elected representatives and let them know we support President Bush’s efforts to update our methods of interrogating terrorist detainees in order to provide greater protection for our troops and the innocent.”
It is strange–to put it politely–to see an avowedly Christian organization promote torture. Reverend Sheldon is correct that this debate is about preserving our traditional values, but he is on the wrong side.
Conservative Christian groups are a key block within the Republican political coalition, as everyone knows. If these groups took an agressive moral stance against torture, the Bush Administration might be given pause. The Traditional Values Coalition has chosen to do the opposite, throwing its weight behind torture, urging Christians to pressure their legislators to support toture.
This can’t be right (although I’m not a Christian).
(And please don’t characterize authorizing torture as a matter of “updating our methods”–that’s scary doublespeak.)
http://balkin.blogspot.com/2006/09/traditional-christian-values-and.html
We should feed them bagels instead. And you better make damn sure they are getting their favorite kind of doughnuts. That’s how are all those kidnaped treated. Remember all those videos?
Yes, Bob, there is absolutely no room on the thin, thin line between torture and bagels. Very astute.
Re:Nick; I don’t think I can top that.