Vol. 5, No. 2 (Summer 2007)
The use of torture is an uncomfortable issue we must confront, and diverse religious groups are beginning to speak up. Several perspectives are presented here, along with helpful poll analysis and historical background.
From the Editor: Interrogating Torture
Dennis Hoover Friday, 1 June 2007
Torture, in America as well as the Muslim world, is an uncomfortable issue we must confront. Diverse religious groups are beginning to speak up. [FREE]
Does Torah Permit Torture?
Melissa Weintraub Friday, 1 June 2007
Two overriding principles of Jewish law, the imperative to honor human dignity and the obligation to defend human life, defy any justification for torture.
The Wounded Torturer
Frederica Mathewes-Green Friday, 1 June 2007
Two Orthodox priests, survivors of the Communist "Pitesti Experiment," recall that inflicting torture causes more lasting damage than being a victim. [FREE]
How to Do Penance for the Inquisition
William Cavanaugh Friday, 1 June 2007
False dichotomies comfort us by blaming torture on the Other. Yet torture is a modern reality, which Catholics can do penance for the Inquisition by resisting.
Irresponsible Action
Akbar Ahmed Friday, 1 June 2007
Western and Islamic civilizations are abandoning ideals of justice, compassion, and wisdom. Humankind must stop the cycle of violence to recover its identity.
Religion and Torture: A View from the Polls
John Green Friday, 1 June 2007
A nationwide survey finds that, even after accounting for political attitudes, weekly worship attenders hold more restrictive views on torture than other Americans.
Torture: A Just War Perspective
James Turner Johnson Friday, 1 June 2007
Torture violates the classic just war principles of wrong intention, noncombatants, and morally permissible means. It should never be morally allowed.
Pain: A Brief History and Bibliography
Pauletta Otis Friday, 1 June 2007
Pain has been used by authority figures to punish, elicit ideological confessions, and extract truth. We need more empirical information on its effectiveness.
An Evangelical Declaration Against Torture: Protecting Human Rights in an Age of Terror
Evangelicals for Human Rights Friday, 1 June 2007
The concept of human rights has Christian roots; in a time of blurred moral vision, evangelicals must affirm the sanctity of human life and oppose torture.
Read more: An Evangelical Declaration Against Torture: Protecting Human Rights in an Age of Terror
How to Read "An Evangelical Declaration Against Torture"
David Gushee Friday, 1 June 2007
The Declaration should not be seen as partisan or divisive but as an affirmation of Christian principles and concerns, especially sanctity of life.
Read more: How to Read "An Evangelical Declaration Against Torture"
Justice, Even in War
James Skillen Friday, 1 June 2007
The Evangelical Declaration Against Torture is commendable in many ways, but it does not address utilitarian pragmatism that prizes protection over justice.