“There is no room for torture as part of the United States’ intelligence gathering process, in Richard Land’s view. The practice known as ‘waterboarding’ is torture, he said.” Read the rest here.
Excepting his views on the Red River Shootout, I think I may have never disagreed with the man.
2 comments
Comments feed for this article
Trackback link
http://www.pilgrimsprogressok.com/2009/05/08/land-stands-against-torture/trackback/
May 8, 2009 at 11:27 pm
K-Funk
This is a tough issue. It’s easy to say torture is always wrong, but it’s also easy to come up with hypotheticals in which torture would seem to be morally justified (e.g., a “ticking time bomb” scenario).
We should at least acknowledge that if we don’t torture, it could cost human lives. I think it’s a cop-out to say “torture never works,” just as it’s wishful thinking to say that environmentally friendly policies will be good for the economy.
Is it worth potentially sacrificing human lives in order for the U.S. to uphold its moral ideals against torture? I don’t know.
May 12, 2009 at 9:16 am
Brian Hobbs
Good points, K-Funk. I do not think, however, the Scriptures ask us to make utilitarian judgments, especially ones based on hypothetical situations. And I would not be one to say “torture never works,” but I would say the price is high. And torture’s corrosive effect on the one doing it (and the citizens approving of it) is indeed unrighteous.
Now, this isn’t to say we couldn’t make a distinction between “torture” and extreme interrogation. In other words, of course we can easily use reasonable means to extract information, such as raise our voices and perhaps deprive them of some sleep, etc.
But to set up mechanisms of torture and justify it because of the good outcome falls short of the Christian ethic. “Do not do evil that good may come of it,” Paul tells us.
Be that as it may, I agree with you, it’s less cut and dried than the public debate makes it seem.