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A Pew survey reported at CNN.com found that evangelical protestants were the religious group most likely to say that torture of suspected terrorists is "often" or "sometimes" justified (54 percent) and the group least likely (one in eight of them) to say that torture is "never" justified.
So-called unaffiliated respondents (people who seldom or never attend church services) were less likely to say that torture is sometimes warranted (42%) and more likely (one in four) to say that it is never justified.
Interesting but I must say, not surprising. The blend of right wing politics (hawkish foreign policy, judgmental and intolerant social policy, and a screw the poor economic policy) and "Christianity" that finds expression in the American evangelical movement has always contained enough hypocrisy to gag a horse. Still, when you see data like these, you still get left shaking your head. And to think, we atheists are supposed to be the ones lacking a moral compass.
A Pew survey reported at CNN.com found that evangelical protestants were the religious group most likely to say that torture of suspected terrorists is "often" or "sometimes" justified (54 percent) and the group least likely (one in eight of them) to say that torture is "never" justified.
So-called unaffiliated respondents (people who seldom or never attend church services) were less likely to say that torture is sometimes warranted (42%) and more likely (one in four) to say that it is never justified.
Interesting but I must say, not surprising. The blend of right wing politics (hawkish foreign policy, judgmental and intolerant social policy, and a screw the poor economic policy) and "Christianity" that finds expression in the American evangelical movement has always contained enough hypocrisy to gag a horse. Still, when you see data like these, you still get left shaking your head. And to think, we atheists are supposed to be the ones lacking a moral compass.
Does it define torture?
I don't know how the poll was worded...that might have a large impact in the answers given...but it could be that evangelical Christians tend to recognize there is such a thing as evil...and sometimes evil cannot be negotiated with.
I don't know how the poll was worded...that might have a large impact in the answers given...but it could be that evangelical Christians tend to recognize there is such a thing as evil...and sometimes evil cannot be negotiated with.
Well at least that is one Evangelical's reason for supporting torture. Probably you're not the only one who feels that way.
The OP doesn't say that the poll was looking for reasons why Evangelicals feel that way - just that they do. Thanks for providing a reason, though.
I don't know how the poll was worded...that might have a large impact in the answers given...but it could be that evangelical Christians tend to recognize there is such a thing as evil...and sometimes evil cannot be negotiated with.
When you fight evil with evil...............Evil wins!!!!!!!
If invoking religious precedent seems an odd way to resolve the question of whether torture is ever acceptable, it is sobering to note that according to a recently released poll by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, a majority of regularly attending American churchgoers say it is. Questioned by the Associated Press as to whether Jesus would condone torture, conservative commentator Gary Bauer has speculated that Jesus himself, being the Son of God, probably wouldn't be a torturer, but that he'd regard as "morally suspect" any of his followers who shrank from torturing for the sake of the greater good.
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