Disturbing & Disgusting

A Pew Research Poll on torture reported by CNN on April 30th:

"WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The more often Americans go to church, the more likely they are to support the torture of suspected terrorists, according to a new survey.

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.

White evangelical Protestants were the religious group most likely to say torture is often or sometimes justified -- more than six in 10 supported it. People unaffiliated with any religious organization were least likely to back it. Only four in 10 of them did.

The analysis is based on a Pew Research Center survey of 742 American adults conducted April 14-21."

I sent this out to a number of folks mentioning that if anyone wondered about the connection between theology and ethics and why we here at Preaching Peace focus on theology, they should take news like this into consideration.  One of my friends simply replied "disturbing and disgusting."  Several others wrote back that they were "not surprised."   The good news in this report was that mainline denominations, Episcopalians, Lutherans and Presbyterians, had a much lower rate of the acceptance of torture as a viable method of gaining information from a suspected terrorist.

Denny Weaver once said to a group of folks attending a Nonviolent Atonement Seminar that "theology matters!"  Yes it does, even or especially in our postmodern world. The only way Evangelicals and Fundamentalists can support torture is because they have a god who supports it in the sacrificial death of Jesus and in a retributive eschatology. I am tempted to say that Evangelicalism is a heresy but I am certain that Christian Fundamentalism is.  How long can we sit around and simply accept the certainty of Fundamentalism? It is not Gospel and it is time to say so.  Who knows when the new American Inquisition will arise?

Michael

 

Comments

[Ed Clark]

Thanks for your thoughts, Michael. I just finished reading J. Denny Weaver's essay, "Violence in Christian Theology." I do have questions. Since I do not know whether Professor Weaver has a weblog site, may I ask you?

First, what is the "gospel" in your understanding?

Secondly, what is your view of Scripture-- is it simply man's writings about God as he conceives Him to be, or is it God-breathed?

Thanks for your answers.

[Lisa Hadler]

Michael,

Thanks for this entry. I, too, was deeply disturbed at this study--though, at one level, not surprised. My main reaction, though, is one of sadness. How can Christians so completely miss the point? You're right. What we preach and teach matters. We have an important responsibility to get this right. Real lives are at stake.

Again, thanks!

Lisa

[michael hardin]

Ed:

The gospel is the good news that God has come into our world in the human Jesus of Nazareth, revealed both the character of God and the broken (sinful) character of a violent humanity and delivered us from that violence by stopping the cycle of violence, first in Jesus' ministry and then fully and completely on the cross with the announcement of the forgiveness of our sin. God vindicated Jesus and his message when he raised him from the dead and seated him at God's right hand from whence God has sent the Spirit in Jesus name (that is, the Spirit is Jesus'/God's presence with us) to bring about the transformation of our life together (which we call church) as a witness to the world of the reconciling work of the One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

I would suggest that Scripture is inspired AND that it contains both religion (human constructs of divinity [which is idolatry]) and revelation. What allows us to distinguish these two strands is the person of Jesus.

Hope this helps.