The charisma of torture
For a long time now, I have suspected that the more religious a person is, the more like he or she is likely (on average!) to support torture, and deep down, to enjoy it, too, on either end.
And what better illustration of that than the one I found today on the webpage of the so-called Charisma magazine. On the bottom of the front page is a poll of the readership on the following unambiguously worded question:
Dates: May 13-27, 2009 (ongoing).
Total # votes: 765.
Yes: 310 (40.4%).
No: 243 (31.7%)
Sometimes: 167 (21.8%) - Wow, the essence of moderation! Isn't that a yes?? Or is "yes" here an "always"?
Undecided: 47 (6.1%) - Mmm, the choice for deep thinkers! Is torture OK? Hmmm, so hard to decide!
Oh, the charisma of torture.
And what better illustration of that than the one I found today on the webpage of the so-called Charisma magazine. On the bottom of the front page is a poll of the readership on the following unambiguously worded question:
Is the torture of suspected terrorists justified in order to obtain information?Now, before we begin to look at the answers, consider the simple beauty of this question.
- No mincing words here with "harsh interrogation techniques" and the like. Torture, yeah! Is torture OK? You decide!
- You don't have to be a terrorist to enjoy some well-designed uninterrupted torture. A mere suspicion that you are a terrorist is enough for you to receive hours and hours of this precious gift.
- And what is this torture for? (As if that makes it all OK!) Is it to save the world? Or millions of innocent civilians? Or thousands of our soldiers? Or dozens of well-placed bureaucratic asses? No, not even that! It is merely to obtain information! ("Excuse me, what time is it? Don't know? Are you a terrorist? Well, then, it's TORTURE for you until you can tell time up to a second without a watch!")
Dates: May 13-27, 2009 (ongoing).
Total # votes: 765.
Yes: 310 (40.4%).
No: 243 (31.7%)
Sometimes: 167 (21.8%) - Wow, the essence of moderation! Isn't that a yes?? Or is "yes" here an "always"?
Undecided: 47 (6.1%) - Mmm, the choice for deep thinkers! Is torture OK? Hmmm, so hard to decide!
Oh, the charisma of torture.
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I think that we'd have to see the results of this same poll given to non-theists to draw any specific conclusions specifically regarding the religious. In any case, the number are disturbing and I have to wonder whether Cheney and the neocons have been more convincing in their pro-torture argument than we migh have expected. Democrats (weak looking) and Libertarians (embarrassingly silent) have not performed well in the public torture debate, IMO.
May 28, 2009 9:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
Democrats are always afraid to look weak on war (invariably called "defence" in the Orwellian tradition). A truly myopic view, in my opinion.
May 30, 2009 12:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
One problem I often perceive in "Christians" of the more ostentatious variety is that they spend too much time worshipping Jesus and not enough time thinking about what he said.
The appeal of torture is obvious: It's simple and it's easy. Never mind the morality, or legality, or even the effectiveness of it; it's a simple solution to what might otherwise be a difficult problem. When we are threatened, all we need to do is threaten back. When they hurt us, we hurt them back. If we think someone knows something that we want to know, we hurt them until they tell us what we want to hear.
But Jesus had this to say about easy solutions:
Matt. 7:13-14 (NRSV).Torture is the wide gate and easy road that leads to destruction. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is the narrow gate and the hard road.
May 28, 2009 11:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
Many abstract theories, ideas and intentions are good and kind. Communism was also an abstract theory about how to make people and society better. It's the concrete implementation, the details of the grand plan that really matter. That's where the devil is, literally.
May 30, 2009 12:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
What does that mean?
Jewish? I don't think so!
Buddhist? Don't think so either!
Hindu? Uh, uh...
Muslim? I doubt it.
Maybe you're referring to Christian... but honestly your contention, as an across the board thing, is just sick - to my mind.
I'd say it's "sadists" - and you can find them in any group. Religious or not.
May 28, 2009 11:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
You're right, I should make it more precise and less sweeping. Personally, I can only draw on the past experiences within our household, those being Christian and Jewish. I imagine Muslim religion is relatively similar. I make no claims beyond that.
May 30, 2009 12:39 PM | Reply | Permalink