Debating the Morality of Torture

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I have to say--US News and WR does some pretty damn good stories.

gjhgh of MI 9:20PM January 24, 2012

I don't deny that Christianity had tortured other people for their faith. If that's the case, then we need to question their faith, not their religion. If we look at the FIRST source of WHO is being tortured, then the Bible has it all. Jesus was the first person to die on the Cross. What for? For claiming to be God. What about the apostles? Did any of them tortured other people for their faith? No because I certainly can't find any of them who had done that. What do we find? Instead we find the apostles were tortured by other people such as Nero Claudius Caesar because he's a crazy king himself who wants to be worshipped like many kings before and after the death of Jesus. What can we say? People in Asia and all around the world are being tortured for their faith in Christ. By who? People who hates Jesus Christ (pretty much atheist people). And people are going to start torturing Christians in United States for their faith in Christ. I've seen it and it's coming.

shortgirl of MN 10:44PM June 11, 2010

Hello,
Geneology, ethics, psychology, torture and systemic changes in an organization all come together in a 28 minute Olelo program I just taped. I thought it a splice of the substantive parts of what happened recently with SERE psychologists, who were responsible for all of what the nation and world saw in those 'prison' photos released, and unreleased.
If not near a TV you can watch it from anywhere real time on the internet (Hawaii real time showings listed below).
http://www.olelo.org/index.htm
Just click the icon for ‘FOCUS 49 livestream’ on the right hand side of screen
Roco for Senator (John Roco for U. S. Senator, Episode 3, Length: 0:28: Juan Roco Campofrio):
All on FOCUS 49
5/26/10 Wed 1:30 pm
6/7/10 Mon 2:30 pm
6/9/10 Wed 8:00 am
6/11/10 Fri 8:30 pm
6/14/10 Mon 6:00 pm
Thank you,
John Roco
a candidate for U.S. Senate for Hawaii
(808)721-9845 roco4senator.blogspot.com

John Roco of HI 4:49PM May 24, 2010

To say that Christians have used torture as a tool over the years is quite an ambiguous statement. Yes, people have been tortured by people calling themselves Christians, but we have to ask one question. Were they Christ followers or some derivative of the Catholic Church? Look back over world history and you will not find it recorded anywhere that a true disciple of Christ tortured anyone, for ANY reason. No believers called according to God's purposes would inflict the pain and punishment upon another person, Period! I will not normally engage in anti-Catholic rhetoric, however, I wanted the line to be clearly defined. Furthermore, I heartily agree that if we use torture then we are no better than those we are said to be opposing! It's not a “kill 'em all and let God sort them out” type of scenario, it is truly about getting the desired result in a morally justified way. If that calls for treating another human being as anything less than a creation of our Lord and God, then we must say no!

Peter S of PA 9:50AM May 04, 2010

Our enemies depersonalize us and think of us as emissaries of Satan. We become that very thing when we torture. I don't see that good can ever come of our treating them the way we are treated.
Thinking of the enemy as less than human only serves to increase recruitment and prolonging the war.
There comes a time when enough is enough.
For what do we fight if in doing so we allow ourselves to become just like them?

Joan Dalton of AL 6:38PM April 08, 2010

As Pilate asked, "What is truth?" we might ask, "What is torture?" Christians and other religious groups have practiced what would be considered torture for centuries. Few of us would argue that the rack and iron maiden are not instruments of torture. Yet, the church has used these means to extract confessions. However, does interrogation or sleep depravation or even water-boarding rise to such levels of torture? Not likely.
Reverend Killmer appears to be among those religious leaders who find comfort in promoting causes that depend upon ambiguity and require no personal involvement to resove the issues. Such religious leaders place burdens on others that they are unable to bear themselves. I recall that Christ warned us about such religious leaders.
As a deacon in a Maine church, I can only pray that Reverend Killmer would find more time to reach out to people in need of faith and comfort in Maine, one of the most unchurched states in the Union, rather than give aid and comfort to our ememies.

David Lind of ME 1:15PM April 06, 2010

The scene, "The Old West" - Smelly Sam has a half dozen kids tied up in a mine shaft and the air is running out. He rides into town and tells the Mayor that unless he gets all the money the town has and he and his his henchmen get to rape all the girls and women - the kids will suffocate in an hour. Cut to the Sheriff... He strides out of the jail and calls for Smelly and his cutthroats to throw down their guns - Smelly's men make the wrong "reach"...Both barrels of the Sheriff's 12 gauge cut loose and 4 saddles get emptied in a cloud of blue smoke. Sheriff drops the shotgun and fills his hand with a .45 Colt "Peacemaker". Smelly's hand hovers over his six-gun - The sight of the .45 and the steely resolve in the lawman’s eyes convinces him - "bad idea".
The sheriff hauls Smelly out of the saddle and dunks his head in a horse trough - yanks it out and asks, "Where are the kids?" Smelly spits in the Sheriff's face and down the bad guy goes again - For a little longer. Sheriff pulls him out and as Smelly opens his mouth to gasp for air he finds the barrel of the Sheriff's .45 in his mouth and hears the hammer cock - Smelly looks into the Sheriff's hard eyes and sees the lawman is "willing"....
Kids rescued - tear filled families reunited and Smelly is on his way to break rocks at Yuma.
Today, we'd arrest the Sheriff, bury the kids, demand more gun control laws, call the A.C.L.U. for the bad guys and make sure they had TV's, magazines and culturally correct meals in their air conditioned cells.
I think the pendulum has swung a mite too far to the hand wringing left.
We need men who have the sense and courage to make the right choice - We need men who are honorable, but also, "willing"...

R.L. Schaefer of CA 9:50PM April 05, 2010

My dear Mr Killmer, Do you realize the horrid tortures and murders that are taking place as we speak this very moment? It is my conviction that JSTERNH of NH is correct when he mentions tortures going on RIGHT NOW in countries of East Pakistan, Central Asia. This is especially true of communist China and Korea. But unfortunately it does not end there. Countries where such religions as Hindu, Buddhaism, and of course Islam are RIPE with literal persecution.
I would definitely not refer to solitary confinement and prison here in America as torture. Any one who has seen or experienced incarceration here in America knows...you do the crime and you WILL do the time---And if a person at times must be in solitary to teach them a lesson...so be it!

Randall of OH 8:49PM April 05, 2010

Reverend if you want to do something really courageous take your act over to East Pakistan, Central Asia or even China. They would love to hear from you, in fact, I bet if asked nicely, they would be happy to give you a personal demonstration. Why don't you go where your efforts might actually do some good?

JSTERNH of NH 7:01PM April 05, 2010

I find it interesting that those who never witnessed, or lived the experience, have such high morals and wish the best for 'our enemies'!
We shoulld use all means to obtain information that may make our country more secure!!!
With Obama in the lead, I am worried that the nation's direction is misdirectede by those who would weaken our security to placate the monsters of the World!

Franko of MA 5:15PM April 05, 2010