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More pearls of wisdom from that bastion of politicized Christianist exceptionalism (h/t John Cole):
It’s likely even Jesus would have OK’d water boarding if it would have saved his Mom. He would’ve done the same to save his Dad, or any one of His disciples. For that matter, He even died to save all humans.
It’s obvious He would not be happy with those who voted for the candidate who kills because it’s above his “pay grade” to know if they’re alive. Checking the Commandments, killing innocents is against the 5th. Because pro-aborts don’t know for sure life does not exist at conception, they are still willing to risk that it’s not killing.
So, Jesus wouldn't be cool with killing babies in the womb but he'd be fine with torturing people? Yep, nothing says "Christ's love" like strapping a guy to a bench and drowning him to extract information.
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This reminds me of a couple of things I've blogged about before. The first is the poll that came out a few weeks ago that revealed that a majority of regular church-goers approve of the use of torture:
More than half of people who attend services at least once a week -- 54 percent -- said the use of torture against suspected terrorists is "often" or "sometimes" justified. Only 42 percent of people who "seldom or never" go to services agreed, according the analysis released Wednesday by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
There was also this gem of a quote from Christian Right leader Jack Gary Bauer:
There are a lot of things Jesus wouldn’t do because he’s the son of God. I can’t imagine Jesus being a Marine or a policeman or a bank president, for that matter. The more appropriate question is, ‘What is a follower of Jesus permitted to do?’
I think if we believe the person we have can give us information to stop thousands of Americans from being killed, it would be morally suspect to not use harsh tactics to get that information.
It's pretty sad that the Christian Right in this country has been politicized to the point that, in defense of their preferred political ideology, they have been reduced to claiming that Jesus' supposedly loving message of peace and caring for your fellow man has been perverted to justify torture.
Say what you will about torture and Christianity, only the most extreme reading of the Gospels imaginable could, at the same time, claim that Jesus preached both a message of love and a message that could justify torture.
Perhaps the most important Bible passage for this debate is this:
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)
Update: Upon further reflection, this post reminds me of some other bible quotes:
Exodus 22:21 - Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.
Deuteronomy 27:19 - Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow.
Psalm 9:9 - The Lord also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, A stronghold in times of trouble.
Psalm 74:21 - Let not the oppressed return dishonored; Let the afflicted and needy praise Your name.
Psalm 146:9 - The Lord protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow, But He thwarts the way of the wicked.
Isaiah 29:20 - For the ruthless will come to an end and the scorner will be finished, Indeed all who are intent on doing evil will be cut off.
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