Christian Silence on Torture Speaks Volumes

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted May 9, 2009 2:01 PM CDT

(Newser) – The silence emanating from the Christian right on torture has been deafening, writes Cynthia Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. One prominent Christian conservative finally came out against the practice, saying it “violates everything we stand for,” but he is conspicuously alone and was conspicuously silent during the Bush years. Tacit support of torture "seems oddly out of step with the radical gospel of a carpenter who preached peace, forgiveness and mercy," Tucker writes.

Evangelicals are largely biblical literalists, arguing against homosexuality and evolution because the Bible says so. "That same Bible introduces a simple teacher who instructed his followers to turn the other cheek," Tucker observes. As a core constituency, evangelical leaders could have pressured Bush, or at least preached about it, given their flocks “a reminder or two about the words of the Galilean they purport to follow. ‘Love your enemies,’ he said. It’s not a torture-friendly gospel.”

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (2)]

The gospel isn't very friendly to torture. (Shutterstock)

Gonna go out on a limb here and say Jesus wouldn't torture anyone. (Shutterstock)

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Support for torture seems oddly out of step with the radical gospel of a carpenter who preached peace, forgiveness and mercy. - Cynthia Tucker

There are some things you should never do to another human being, no matter how horrific the things they have done. If you do so, you demean yourself to their level - Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics Commission

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