Let Us Encourage Society To Draw a Line at Torture and Say No
Torture in any of its forms can never be accepted. We must never allow for excuses or qualifications to suggest that what is torture really is not. We must put a halt to the development and implementation of the culture of death before we can make for a victory for a culture of life. As long as we continue to let the culture of death continue to ramrod new objectifications of rightful subjects in the world, death and its destruction of human persons will continue to thrive. When society can agree upon the need to defend the dignity of the human person in one situation or another, that there is an absolute line which cannot be crossed, then we have the means by which we can engage society on other life issues. Don’t give the culture of death a victory on the issue of torture. This debate can still be won. We must say no. We must as a society agree that there is a line which cannot be crossed. A great number of people, including those who are not pro-life, can see that line in the torture debate. It is a great starting point. Once we can agree here, then we can work on moving it back until people realize the line should never be crossed, seeing how the issues inter-relate and are in fact one and the same (the dignity of the human person).
While it is understandable why President Obama and his administration would not like to start a political battle with G.W. Bush and his administration, for fear that this would begin a new kind of political war, one must point out that his about-face in relation to torture and the prosecution of those who promoted torture under G.W. Bush is an act of cowardice. One should be willing to let one’s own actions stand under review, and not let the fear of future prosecution get in the way of engaging the mistakes of the past. Until we get someone in office willing to do what is needed, politics as usual will include a defense of the indefensible, as usual.
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I like this idea.
I hope it’s possible to progress as you describe. I wonder if our current practices of throwing our unborn children in the trash and killing old people blinds us to the very concept of human dignity, making any recovery of the idea practically impossible. I do not want to believe this but fear it is true.
Mother Teresa: “Because if a mother can kill her own child – what is left for me to kill you and you kill me – there is nothing between”.
You are correct, I think, to point out that people can see “the line” with torture. But I think they see it for the wrong reason: not because it violates human dignity but because it is so obviously a cause of suffering and pain. A big part of the secular liberal project is to eliminate all suffering and death in the pursuit of security. The obvious infliction of pain is is something to which the liberal is reflexively opposed. Think of those who say, “as long as it’s not hurting anyone else, I don’t see the problem”. People oppose torture because they see that it’s obviously hurting someone else.
I wish it was because they understood that the human being has great dignity, being created in God’s image, but I do not think this is the case.
Here’s hopin!
Zach
I agree that people are able to see this as an issue because they can see it causes obvious pain and suffering, but there has to be a reason why obvious pain and suffering causes people to say “no.” And that is what we can work with to bring out the why, and the why I think it is the innate understanding, via conscience, that the dignity of the human person should not be violated. It might not be conscious with many, but hopefully we can make it so.
There have been several torture blogs here on
vox nova. Torture was being discussed. EWTN
having guests justify torture, etc. Others
opposed to it. I wrote, where are the bishops
on the issue. The person that wrote the article
sent me a couple of links from the USCCB
about torture. I had not been aware.
I dont mean to get off the subject, but the
issue is a broader issue. There have also
been a few posts here on the cathechism is
not meant as a complete definition of the
Catholic faith, the bishop is.
But,,, In reality, did each bishop of each
diocese say, “we have an important issue
that pertains to us as Americans, tortue.
What to believe as a Catholic”? Or something
similar. Is an extra visit to your church
to much to ask?
If a person is raised in the Catholic Church,
you go as young person to Cathechism classes
and cant wait to be confirmed so you dont have
to go anymore. You are rebellious in your
youth. So, what is there for a 30, 40, etc
year old person to develop their faith?
Blogs, apologetic websites? Nothing wrong with
that, but should not the primary channel
be the local church/diocese? Which I have
not and do not see happening. Sorry to be
critical, but it is my honest opinion,
agree or disagree.
The issue is a leadership issue, not only on
torture but issues a, b, and c.
Henry, I feel like I am spoiling your post by not
directly responding to “draw a line at torture
and say no”. But my point is, do most American
Catholics look forward to receiving teaching/directions from their local diocese?
I think how Catholics will approach torture
or any other issue we want changed will only
change when they are sincere about receiving
guidance from the bishops.
Again, the issue is a broader issue. We are
always taught that America was founded as
a religious country. If so, it was based on
denominations without an ultimate authority
figure. Meaning what people don’t agree with
they will just reject and move on. I believe
this attitude exists with Catholics today.
Their own individualism trumps submitting
to any authority in the church.
So why are people suprised when others ignore
something such as torture?
I would think a church would try to address
what issues pertain to a certain culture.
In the US, it is individualism that comes
before faith. If this is not addressed,
is anything really going to change?
Curt,
I don’t think most Americans do — but of course they should. Americanist individualism is a problem, and it is a part of the culture of death which leads to this moral quandary we are in today. Nonetheless, the issue of torture can be a universal one, without need of it being a religious condemnation alone (imo).