Seriously though...I would like to hear arguments from the other side. I'm really intrigued to know.
Perhaps unsurprising to you, but I think torture of another human being (no matter the desired outcome or reasoning behind it) is abhorrently wrong. Mostly for these reasons, which come from a Christian framework:
1) As a believer in the message of Jesus - I think torture goes against everything Jesus represents. Yes, people are twisted. Yes, there is evil in the world. But this is not the world as it was created to be. This world is about as far out in left field as it was intended to be by it's Creator. I think that when believers hold hands with politics and war....it's a dangerous romance.
2) As a human, I respect the sanctity of life....all life. I'm pro-life. I think that killing the unborn is wrong. I also think that torture/execution of believers in China is wrong. And that massacre in the Congo is wrong. I think all human beings deserve respect and dignity. How can one respect life with exceptions?? That just doesn't jive with me.
I believe that Jesus loves us all unequivocally, without exception. And when one of his "children" is slain (no matter their "sins") it pains him.
In Genesis, when Cain killed Abel, God told him "Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground" (Gen. 4:10).
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That's all I've got for now.
Go on then....fire away.
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"You can safely assume you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do."Anne Lamot
"I have been held without trial by the US for 6 years, 1 month and 12 days. That is 2,234 days (very long days, and often longer nights). Of this, about 550 days were in a torture chamber in Morocco, and about 150 in the 'Dark Prison' in Kabul. Still there is no end in sight, no prospect of a fair trial...It is long past time to end this matter. I have been next to committing suicide this past while. That would be one way to end it, I suppose."Binyam Mohamed, Guantanamo Detainee, in a letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown
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Here's my two cents. Maybe it's worth something, but I'm not promising anything.
I completely understand the motives behind torture, especially that which is supposedly done by the US. I get the whole “we do it to few, to save the lives of millions.” Weighing out the pros and cons is hard for both sides of the argument. On one hand, numerically and logically speaking, 1,000,000 lives saved to the 200 tortured lives is a pretty good ratio. A good trade off even. But then again, who are we to play the judge of whose life is more valuable? First of all, we did not create any of them. So they’re not our pawns to sacrifice. Second, why do we feel like we are entitled to exact this type of punishment or coercion when we condemn other countries that do the same thing? Can we say hypocrites?
Now turn your thoughts not only to those being tortured but to the ones inflicting the torture. Think about the fact that this probably has psychological and emotional effects on them, whether they openly show this or try to suppress it. I think it dehumanizes and desensitizes those inflicting the torture. Think about all of the soldiers who come home from war and deal with depression, nightmares, flashbacks, etc... It is still hard to handle killing someone even when it was only done out of self defense. Now remember that the torture is being inflicted on someone who can’t fight back or protect themselves, those who are completely vulnerable. No matter what, when you inflict pain on someone else your conscience reminds you of how wrong it is, whether “justified” or not.
Now think about those who are being tortured. Yes, some of them would be willing to do far worse to any American, but why do we choose to do what they would do? Aren’t we professing to be better than them? Another issue I have with torture at the hands of the US is the US’s reputation. We’ve made some mistakes in the past that tainted our reputation and we are now seeing the results of that. Heck, that’s part of the reason we are at war now. (FYI – I do support the war on terrorism.) So why would we tarnish our reputation further? All it ends up doing is biting us in the ass. What happened to the US being the “good guys”, being the “international police”, and having a higher moral code?
I know that walking a moral line while trying to protect our great country is challenging at times (or all the time), but shouldn’t we still try?
I think that torture is a dehumanizing, uncreative wrong. It is often done “righteously” with the assumption that the ends justify the means. Having never tortured nor been tortured I also surmise the following: I am not convinced that most torturing sessions have any redemptive ends. I am convinced that no end would justify the means of lowering the value of life (of the tortured and of the torturer).
I believe that torture has been romanticized in our society by a host of culprits. TV shows like 24 to be sure, but also by news broadcasters. (Have you ever noticed how the news speaks of torture victims with the utmost respect? They skirt the demoralization that the individual had to endure because it’s bad for ratings, but they make it clear that the tortured are revered.) The fact remains that torture is not entertainment.
It is easy to say that “its wrong, but still believe we need a Jack Bower to burst in through the back door, and spend 5 minutes inflicting pain on someone to save the lives of ever citizen in Las Angeles. ‘Cause it’s worth it, you know?” Well, I don’t think it is ever worth adopting the tactics of the enemy (I am speaking spiritually here). I don’t think it is ever right to wrong someone. There is surely a right way. 1 Cor 10:13
well.
you guys are boring.
because you agree with me. :) LOL
anyone on the other side of the fence want to stick their head in here and comment??
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