If I asked you what the MOST religious people thought about the morality of torture, what would you say? If you're like me, you'd assume they'd be MOST against practices like waterboarding and torture in general. But according to a new Pew study indicates you'd be wrong, as Evangelicals and regular church-goers in general are more likely to think torture is morally-justifiable than the general population.
One analyst speculates this is due to the fact that the Christian worldview includes salvation coming from the excruciating pain of our savior. Somehow, I suspect the explanation is a little more complex.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Evangelicals most in favor of Torture?!
Posted by Nomad at 1:00 AM
Labels: evangelicals, religion, torture, waterboarding
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6 comments:
I'm wondering if it has something to do with the belief that man is inherently sinful vs. the belief that people are generally good.
I'd say more a reaction to the political climate. GWB is "evangelical" and he was the "God's man put in place to keep our country safe" and he says this isn't torture, so it must not be and it's okay, and furthermore it is a GOOD thing and we should praise those courageous men and women who do it because they are "God's soldiers" and they keep us safe!
To many evangelicals in the US are interpreting the Bible through their political ideology, instead of the other way around.
How about a stern God of justice? He used methods this generation would consider extreme. He exterminated whole people groups, killed people for one small infraction (looking back, keeping one little thing back) etc.
I do not consider water boarding torture. (OK. Now the stoning of shadowmom1 can start.) And we only used it on THREE terrorists! It is not a normal practice, used willy-nilly.
Shadowmom, No stones here, although I think you're wrong from my research into Waterboarding. It is at the very least cruel and unusual.
Do you have a defense for saying it is NOT torture, or is it just a "I know it when I see it" sort of thing?
I agree completely with what Nick said. It has much more to do with evangelicals having supported Bush at all costs. Now, many are simply still holding out a hope that the last shred of what they thought was a good, Godly administration was actually not something far removed from what they believed it to be.
No lasting adverse effects. Short term for each event. Only used on the worst captives who have real information to give.
Personally, I would find it completely awful, but there are other things I would find awful, too, which are legal.
I'm sure tazering would not be allowed under the current guidelines, but it is used on relatively innocent people by our police forces all over the country.
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