Religious Leaders Urge U.S. to Ban Torture

[Sapphire Blue]

Religious Leaders Urge U.S. to Ban Torture
By Alan Cooperman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 13, 2006; Page A04

Twenty-seven religious leaders, including megachurch pastor Rick Warren, Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel and Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington, have signed a statement urging the United States to "abolish torture now -- without exceptions."

The statement, being published in newspaper advertisements starting today, is the opening salvo of a new organization called the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, which has formed in response to allegations of human rights abuse at U.S. detention centers in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick is one of 27 religious leaders and Nobel laureates to urge the U.S. government to end the practice of torture. The statement is being published in newspaper ads starting today. (J. Scott Applewhite - AP)

Titled "Torture is a Moral Issue," the statement says that torture "violates the basic dignity of the human person" and "contradicts our nation's most cherished values." "Nothing less is at stake in the torture abuse crisis than the soul of our nation. What does it signify if torture is condemned in word but allowed in deed?" it asks.

The signers come from a broad range of denominations and include notable religious conservatives, such as the Rev. Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals; Archbishop Demetrios, primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America; and the Rev. William J. Byron, former president of Catholic University.

Continued @ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/12/AR2006061201484.html

National Religious Campaign Against Torture: http://www.nrcat.org /

Faithful America: http://www.faithfulamerica.org/article.php?id=103

The International Federation of Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture (FIACAT): http://ww2.fiacat.org/en /

Statements and Letters of National Denominations and Religious Groups: http://www.nrcat.org/resources/nationalrel.aspx

Calendar: Anti-Torture Events Nationwide: http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item.php?item_id=1778&issue_id=70

[Erika]

1. The U.S. is too great to torture should be our motto

Although I am not religious, I praise this group.

As we torture, ours will be tortured. We need to stop all talk of torture.

Who would Christ torture?

[Sapphire Blue]

6. Thanks for your comment, Erika!

:hi:

[Ino]

2. Whatever are they talking about?!

The USA doesn't torture. It's coercion. It's alternative interrogation techniques. :sarcasm:

[tanyev]

3. Falwell? Robertson? Dobson? No?

Guess their copies got lost in the mail.

[Sapphire Blue]

4. Falwell? Robertson? Dobson? are not the only religious leaders.

[tanyev]

30. Not my point. Their absence on a list like this speaks volumes

about them and the "religion" they peddle.

[NYC]

5. Good.

I hope they make people understand what is going on.

[scarletwoman]

7. Oh, thank GOD! (so to speak -- I'm an atheist)

There damn well OUGHT to be some reaction from the religious community! I'm truly glad to see these people making a statement.

Thanks for posting this.

sw

[Sapphire Blue]

8. HI, scarletwoman... I appreciate the comment ;)

:hi:

[chat_noir]

9. Who Would Jesus Waterboard?

courtesy of Jesus' General http://patriotboy.blogspot.com/2006_09_17_patriotboy_archive.html#115899873679454626

[riderinthestorm]

10. 27 religious leaders means virtually nothing in the US (NRCAT)

A drop in the bucket. Besides, that group did the big ad in June and then it appears from their website that they did relatively little after the ad.

The second website is a link to concerned private individuals, certainly not anything like the religious powerhouses that SHOULD be involved in anti-torture activism if they really cared.

The third link is to a group that is primarily working in Africa and overseas. Their American link is to 4 individuals in Canada.

I'm not seeing a huge groundswell of support for anti-torture activism on behalf of the religious community in the US, if these links are the indicator.

[Sapphire Blue]

13. This constitutes "Nothing"???

NRCAT

Get Involved: http://www.nrcat.org/involvement.aspx

Who are We?

The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) joins people of faith committed to ensuring that the United States does not engage in torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment of anyone, without exceptions. NRCAT is a campaign of national, regional, and local religious and secular organizations. We are national denominations and faith groups, local interfaith groups and congregations, and more.

http://www.nrcat.org/about.aspx

Participating Members

Adventist Peace Fellowship
American Baptist Churches, USA
Baltimore Monthly Meeting of Friends, Stony Run
Eighth Day Faith Community (Washington, DC)
The Episcopal Church
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Fellowship of Reconciliation
First Congregational Church, Berkeley, CA
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Friends of Jesus Chruch (Washington, DC)
Islamic Society of North America
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
National Council of Churches
No2Torture
Pax Christi USA
The Presbyterian Church (USA)
Presbyterian Peace Fellowship
Quaker House of Fayetteville, NC
Rabbis for Human Rights
Rahway and Plainfield Monthly Meeting, Religious Society of Friends (Plainfield, NJ)
Reclaiming the Prophetic Voice
Rock Spring Congregational UCC - Board of Social Action (Arlington, VA)
The Shalom Center
Shalom United Church of Christ (New Haven, CT)
Union for Reform Judaism
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
United Church of Christ
The United Methodist General Board of Church and Society
Washington Region Religious Campaign Against Torture
World Sikh Council - American Region

Endorsing Members

Association of Christian Churches of South Dakota
California Council of Churches
Conference of Major Superiors of Men
Disciples Advocacy and Witness Network of the Christian Church Capital Area
Disciples Justice Action network (Disciples of Christ)
Evangelicals for Social Action
First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis
Hartford Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
The Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard University
Jewish Peace Fellowship
Leadership Conference of Women Religious
Maine Council of Churches
Metropolitan Community Churches Global Justice Team
Multifaith Voices for Peace & Justice (Palo Alto, CA)
Nauset Interfaith Association (Cape Cod, MA)
Pennsylvania Council of Churches
Sandy Spring Friends Meeting (Sandy Spring, MD)
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
University Presbyterian Church-Mission and Peacemaking Committee (Baton Rouge, LA)
Washington Association of Churches
Wisconsin Council of Churches
Witness/Washington Office, Church of the Brethren

Adjunct Members

Amnesty International USA
Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture
Bill of Rights Defense Committee
The Center for Justice & Accountability
Humans Right First
Coalition for Peace Action, Princeton, NJ
PeaceAction Montgomery
Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International

http://www.nrcat.org/members.aspx

Faithful America

Tell Congress: Bush Torture Bill must be defeated: http://www.faithfulamerica.org/article.php?id=103

Who We Are

Faithful Americans include Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Baha’is, to name a few. Many express their faiths in individual ways. Yet all of us share a common bond - when it comes to government, we believe our faith does matter. Our voices are needed. Our values must be reflected in our nation’s public policies

A program of the National Council of Churches, USA, FaithfulAmerica.org is made up of persons who believe that one’s faith - however broadly or uniquely expressed - has a word to say about our nation’s government and its priorities.

http://www.faithfulamerica.org/about.php#who

[riderinthestorm]

17. I'm glad these orgs are participating but there's more who aren't

How many of the "faith based Bush supporters" care that Jimmy Carter is a signatory to NRCAT's letter? Uhm, not too many.

CAIR for example isn't on this list, and they are more influential than ISNA just as one example....

Where are the real evangelical powerhouses like the Grahams?

Sorry but this is torture! This should be a no-brainer for EVERY religious org on the planet.

[Sapphire Blue]

20. You could just as easily say that your voice means nothing...

... since you aren't a major influence in this country.

I agree that other religious leaders should be speaking out. What's sad is that we don't hear enough from the ones who do speak out... and the ones who do speak out sometimes get discounted as not being important enough.

(edit for spelling)

[riderinthestorm]

23. You're right, my "voice" does mean nothing

I'm an atheist - one of the lowest of the low in US society.

And unfortunately, I recognize "not important enough" when I see it in a fellow sufferer (like those in your links).

I wish it weren't so. I desperately wish it weren't so. But the 30% +/- who are rabid Bush followers are only following their own leaders like Graham who aren't included in your list.

Peace!

[Sapphire Blue]

24. Not what I said, and it's sad that you feel that way.

So, will you be quiet about torture, or will you speak out?

[riderinthestorm]

25. False dichotomy and how dare you even imply I'm not activist enough?

And your post was pretty clear to me.

:thumbsdown:

[Sapphire Blue]

26. Not what I implied.

My question was a response to your saying that your " "voice" does mean nothing". Will you use your voice if, as you say, it means nothing?

You said that the religious organizations mentioned in the OP mean nothing. I disagree with you; I think each of their voices is important... and I believe that your voice is, too.

(edited for spelling since I can't seem to type tonight)

(edited again to ask: Why is it permissable for you to say that the voices of the religious orgs in the OP mean nothing, but you seem to get very offended when you think (incorrectly) I said the same of you?

[riderinthestorm]

27. Your question sounds akin to "When did you stop beating your wife?"

to me at least. My anti-torture CV creds and my effectiveness as a speaker really isn't the point.

Beyond the personals, I believe that the people who need to be reached, the religious ones who persist in supporting this Admin and their heinous policies (like torture) are not represented on your list. Thus their voices (and my atheist voice especially) mean "virtually nothing" (my exact quote) to them and perhaps even the wider American public.

I would love to believe that the 30% +/- can be reached but I harbor no illusions. Your list lulls other liberal religious (dare I say even evangelical) Dems that there is effective activism occurring and reaching those who need to be reached.

I disagree.

Religious folks who care about stopping torture need to get the really influential leaders of these Bushbots co-opted unto the anti-torture bandwagon.

[riderinthestorm]

28. This is a spin-off thread from another

So some of the context is lost here.

You are trumpeting the voices of these religious people as somehow representing some kind of widespread religious "voice" against torture, that somehow these are "powerful" voices who aren't being recognized for their outspokenness.

I disagreed:
1. I think these people and groups haven't been outspoken enough.
2. I believe there aren't enough truly powerful religious figures on your lists/websites to really reach the "big" audiences that matter, that need to be persuaded/reached.

We then got onto a tangent about my own personal "voice" wherein I objected to your question about whether I would be/have been speaking against torture and the implication that I am or have been somehow silent. You seem to be asking for some kind of testimony which I find wierd.

Beyond that, my point is that you are assigning a lot of power to these religious orgs and people to be heard and persuasive. I would argue they aren't either. Furthermore, when you ask about my own personal "voice" in relation to theirs you are perhaps unconciously making a comparison.

Anyway, I'm off to bed now.

Peace and good night!

[Sapphire Blue]

29. I feel that if Dobson spoke out against torture right now...

... you would still complain that Falwell & Robertson weren't!

You don't think NRCAT and all the organizations it represents, including the National Council of Churches, are of any significance. We definitely disagree.

[Az_lefty]

11. georgie boy is not a religious person

so these people mean nothing to him...he knows nothing about morals, conscious or kindness, it's all a sick show.

[NanceGreggs]

16. You're right - it means nothing to Bush ...

... just like everything else means nothing to him.

But it sure means SOMETHING to his party, especially those who are trying to be re-elected.

This kind of publicity (and I hope they keep it up) from REAL religious leaders will make a lot of good people, currently under the sway of the Falwells and the Robertsons, THINK about what this all means -- and many will act according to their newly-awakened conscience. A lot of truly fanatical Christians, led by the nose when it comes to abortion rights and gay marriage, WILL draw the line at torture.

Losing even a portion of their 'religious right' base will hurt the Republicans, now and in '08.

Bush is out, one way or the other, in two years. The Republican Party, however, has to protect itself for the long haul.

If other religious leaders keep pointing out that this is a matter of unChristian, unethical and immoral behaviour, it will HURT the GOP - BIG TIME!

Who would Jesus torture? Don't think there aren't a lot of relgious people out there who are asking themselves that question right now -- and the answer a lot of them will arrive at is NOT what Bush wants to hear.

[Solly Mack]

12. Great

absolutely wonderful

[Sapphire Blue]

22. Hi, Solly Mack!

:hi:

[niallmac]

14. Thanks for posting this. MSM did not deliver this news to me.

I asked in another thread "Where are the churches?" I hope this means that places of worship on a local
level will be speaking to this issue.

[Sapphire Blue]

15. You're welcome. (MSM didn't deliver it to me, either.)

Check out the links in the OP when you have the time. There are opportunities for individuals to become involved.

[ComerPerro]

18. Religious Leaders still backing BushCo

[hootinholler]

19. K&R! F torture!

My theme today.

-Hoot

[Sapphire Blue]

21. Thanks, hootinholler!

:hi:

[goclark]

32. I gave another R!

[spanone]

31. Thanks Sapphire Blue...answers my thread from yesterday.

Heartening to know that God still means something in this morally depleted nation.

[bobbolink]

33. Thanks for continuuing to bring us the good news!

Now, if this news and these actions would just get down to the people in the pews....

O8)

[indepat]

34. What is liked so much is not going to be given up