Saturday, September 30, 2006

Torture Isn't Christian.




Today the President signed into law a bill that for the first time in our country's history eliminates a long held constitutional right of habeas corpus. The right of habeas corpus dates back to the Magna Carta. It provides for the right of the accused to exam evidence against them and challenge the accused detention, futhermore, it allows the accused the right to seek out the court system to redress his or hers incarceration.

The legislation also allows the President Bush to define who is an enemy combatant and if habeas corpus rights pertain to them. It goes on to allow President Bush to determine how The Geneva Conventions will be interpreted by the U.S. But wait there's more, President Bush can now define what constitutes torture.

In effect, the Republican Congress has given President Bush the right to claim that Osama bin Ladin, Saddam Hussein, me, you, and everyone we know; are enemy combatants. For the first time in our nations history it is now legal to detain U.S. citizens incognito, to try and to convict them in secret courts and yes, even torture.

The Republican Party, President Bush, and their supporters claim that the United States is a Christian country. My question is, Why torture? Torture isn't Christian and it isn't a reliable source of information gathering. It is cruel, inhuman, and is only can be counted on to inflict pain. Jesus only mentions the word torture once in Mathew 18.

I don't understand why people who claim to be follows of Christ can support laws such as this. Then again I don't understand how some Christians can allow themselves to be used for political puposes but thats another posting.

I remember part of a song from my youth that goes, "Whatsoever you do to the lest of my brothers that you did unto me..." For me that pretty much sums up the ministry of Christ on Earth. I find not hatred or apathy as a central theme in the life of Christ but love. The love of Providence, the love of a tortured Jesus, the love of the Holy spirit.

What Would Jesus Do?

Wonko's Bud
Gratias Tibi Ago Deus

1 comment:

Sean said...

I read a bit about this quickly on google news the other day. "Surely I must be misreading this," I thought. "There's no way W could be trampling the constitution this thoroughly without major hue and cry!"

Alas, it doesn't look like I was misreading. :(