This makes absolutely no sense -

[CatWoman]

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. It did not include analysis of groups other than white evangelicals, white non-Hispanic Catholics, white mainline Protestants and the religiously unaffiliated, because the sample size was too small. See results of the survey »

The president of the National Association of Evangelicals, Leith Anderson, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The survey asked: "Do you think the use of torture against suspected terrorists in order to gain important information can often be justified, sometimes be justified, rarely be justified, or never be justified?"
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Roughly half of all respondents -- 49 percent -- said it is often or sometimes justified. A quarter said it never is.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/30/religion.torture/index.html

[malaise]

1. Sure it does

Old testament Fundie loonies.

[The Magistrate]

2. The Idea, Ma'am, That Religiousity And Sound Ethics Are Related Is Simply Nonesense

[CatWoman]

4. but........

but..................

but.......................................

[sellitman]

6. You Sir, are spot on as usual.

:fistbump:

[Creena]

9. But, I was told that I have no morals or ethics because I have no religion!

Mind. Blown. Boom!

[TahitiNut]

20. Sick people go to hospitals. Unethical people go to churches.

:evilgrin:


I see a relationship. As I recall, it's an "inverse correlation."

:dunce:

[polichick]

3. Fear is what drives both beliefs for a lot of people.

[sellitman]

5. What a sad commentary on religion.

I'm not surprised but just saddened.

[madeline_con]

14. I think it's a specific "religion". The hateful fundie version of God's love.

[MannyGoldstein]

7. Roughly half of all respondents -- 49 percent -- said it is often or sometimes justified.

"A quarter said it never is"

This is why there's no way Obama will prosecute the confessed torturers.

[MedleyMisty]

11. There's a reason why I chose my sig.

[The Magistrate]

19. Not The Way To Read The Numbers, Sir

In matters like this, the extremes drive the matter, and the point to watch is the relation of the numbers of those holding the extreme positions. In this instance, fifteen percent over-all hold to the extreme pro-torture view, twenty-five percent to the extreme anti-torture view, so the decided anti-torture people outnumber the decided pro-torture people by a proportion of five to three. The 'sometimes' or 'often' people have no strong feelings either way, and are up for grabs. As the thing is pressed, they will gravitate towards one extreme or the other, and in a proportion that approximates the relation between the two extreme positions, all else being equal. One factor that can affect the split is reflected in the question, which asks if torture to obtain important information is ever justified. It is quite clear that the torture sessions were in the main intended to extract false statements useful to the Bush administration's propaganda efforts. As people become educated to this understanding, which fits in very well with the conclusion already reached by a great majority of the people that three Bush administration lied in its invading Iraq, the question people are answering will change to something very few people will assent to.

[MannyGoldstein]

25. If It Were Only Torture vs. No Torture, I'd Agree

However, we have to things here to deal with - torture and prosecuting an ex-administration. So if a person feels moderately srongly against torture, but very strongly against Bush getting tossed in jail, then the aggregate is that if Bush is put in jail we have an angry customer.

[The Magistrate]

26. That Would Take Different Numbers, Sir, To Measure The Different Sentiment

You might have parties in the streets if it were Cheney; neither of them is that popular. But you are correct aiming that high is a major thing, and we may have to settle for the various consiglierie....

[KoKo]

28. How the question is asked and the circumstances....

That's why polls can often be so deceiving.

[BlueJazz]

8. I've found that those people who are most Religious are the most afraid of Death.

Plus they tend to be strangely, illogically Cruel.

[malaise]

15. In the words of Peter Tosh

Everybody wants to go to heaven
but none a dem, none a dem want to die.

[TwilightZone]

10. Well, when the basis of one's religion is that God's own son was tortured....

Perhaps it makes a twisted sort of sense.

Or not.

[madeline_con]

12. Hatred for Muslims and rabid fear is preached on Sundays to

supposedly "Christian" congregations. They eat it up. :puke:

[KoKo]

29. Not ALL "Christian" congregations...that's quite a broad generalization...

if you think more about it.

[madeline_con]

32. No, it was not a generalization.

There is a certain type of "Christian" who listens to the crap and believes it. So-called Christians, not the real thing. I hate having to explain stuff. :eyes:

[zeemike]

13. It makes a lot of sense to me.

First most evangelicals are right wing nuts. and have right wing preachers that preach justification for whatever they want.
Second we have had several decades where the TV has justified this behavior to the point that many are convinced that it is OK.
But most importantly most of the high profile religious leaders are Pharisees of our modern day. And these neo Pharisees have corrupted the teachings of Jesus in almost every respect.

[spanone]

16. turn the other cheek.......after you kick their asses....hypocrisy of the highest order

[Tangerine LaBamba]

17. You kidding? Seriously? You're surprised?

You're talking about people who wear a replica of a man nailed to a cross as jewelry, where everyone can see it.

They get off on the idea of the mortification of the flesh. Here's a nifty historical explanation: http://tinyurl.com/55d3gw

Makes them all tingly in the same way they used to feel when the priest told them to come to his study, or when the nun made them bend over and pull down their panties, or when the minister said they'd have to sleep together because there was only one bed, or when Daddy said that this was what all good little girls did for their fathers if they really loved them.........................

[baldguy]

18. If Yeshua ben Yosef of the Galilee showed up in America tomorrow

The church-going conservative Christians would have him dead by the end of next week.

[liberalmuse]

21. Makes perfect sense.

I was hanging out with a bunch of liberals, and the only person in the room unsure of torture also happened to be very religious. The rest of us were godless atheists, and not a single one of us heathens would condone it under any circumstance. I'm not surprised. Some of the most bloodthirsty war supporters were also fundies. I think it's all the slaughter and rape in the Bible (condoned and even encouraged by their god) that makes them immune or something.

[Canuckistanian]

22. I know, this is nuts

Is there a verse in the Holy Bible that says,

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (unless they're Godless Commies or fanatical, murderous Islamists)"

Did I miss something in Sunday School?

[JI7]

23. it actually makes a lot of sense and consistent with what i have seen and hear

[Forkboy]

24. Jesus was tortured on the way to cross. They not only accept that, but embrace it.

Once that step is taken what's another leap?

[Spazito]

27. This paragraph tells me this poll is worse than useless...

"The analysis is based on a Pew Research Center survey of 742 American adults conducted April 14-21. It did not include analysis of groups other than white evangelicals, white non-Hispanic Catholics, white mainline Protestants and the religiously unaffiliated, because the sample size was too small. See results of the survey »"

742 WHITE religious respondents, the SUM TOTAL of the respondents.

Appalling to even publish this as anything other than pure garbage, imo.

[KoKo]

30. I agree. It was like the poll was looking for answers to verify a viewpoint.

I know that Pew is held in high esteem. But, one wonders who has decided their polls should be so honored.

Who commissioned the Poll? How many "white mainline Protestants" were included and who judged the criteria for what constitutes "white mainline." What about "black or other mainline protestants."

Maybe Pew breaks it all down in great detail. I have to admit I didn't research it. Just going along with the OP..

[Fuzz]

31. Yay Mel Gibson?