ex(PR)essed

For the past month or two, I have heard many reports on NPR about torture policies and the Obama administration’s stance on some of the questionable practices prior to his presidency. I won’t lie and tell you that I have been an active and loud voice against torture. But, now that I’m more informed, I’m certainly more interested in the topic.

So, today when I was reading the Patriot-News and came across a commentary written by Cynthia Tucker on the issue, I was intrigued. She is talking specifically about how conservative Christians view torture, citing that a Pew survey says 62 percent of “white evangelical Protestants” believe torture can often or sometimes be justified.

She then writes, “It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Conservative Christians tend to be conspicuously pious, loudly proclaiming themselves moral, righteous, just. Yet, their support for torture–even against an avowed enemy, even in times of peril–seems out of step with the radical gospel of a carpenter who preached peace, forgiveness, and mercy.”

Ouch.

Now, I don’t necessarily consider myself conservative, but I am certainly a Christian, and Tucker’s comments sting. I know the world perceives Christians in a largely negative light, thanks in large part (if not entirely), I think, to the uncompassionate, mean-spirited way we both represent ourselves as well as the way we have allowed loud-mouthed right wingers to represent us. I do not feel victimized because of my faith, and I have no patience for American Christians who lament their “hard” lot in life because prayer isn’t allowed in schools but homosexuals are. Please.

It shouldn’t be a novelty when a Christian speaks out against torture.

I guess this is just an issue that has been on my mind (and heart) for weeks now. I’m amazed that as human beings we even need to talk about whether torture is acceptable or not. But, then again, empathy is one my strongest personality traits, so maybe I’m just wired differently. Or maybe I’m just wired correctly.