Torture

One of the more profound texts I studied at Nazarene Theological Seminary was Cavanaugh's Torture and Eucharist: Theology, Politics, and the Body of Christ.  William T. Cavanaugh is a professor of Theology at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN.

I've often reflected on this work in the context of the current debate concerning torture.  My people (Evangelicals) hold some very troubling opinions about the role of torture in our world. 

"A survey of 742 U.S. adults released April 29 by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found 62 percent of white evangelical Protestants said torture of a suspected terrorist could be often or sometimes justified to obtain important information.

By contrast, 51 percent of white non-Hispanic Catholics, 46 percent of white mainline Protestants and 40 percent of the religiously unaffiliated held that position.

Those who attend religious services at least once a week were more likely than those who rarely or never attend to say torture is sometimes or often justified in that scenario -- 54 percent to 42 percent." Sun Sentinel.

I was happy to find Cavanaugh weighing in on this issue in this article.

Cavanaugh believes that the Eucharist is the heart of Christian resistance to torture and terror.  Cavanaugh believes that Jesus Christ calls us to truly love and identify with the enemy, the victim.  This teaching of radical orientation to the Kingdom of God life versus a life orientation to a Christianity submitted to nationalistic ideals is something I wish I could say I have truly embraced but I'm ashamed more often than not that I embrace an American agenda instead of God's Way.

Cavanaugh writes, "Torture is both a product of—and helps reinforce—a certain story about who “we” are and who “our” enemies are. Torture helps imagine the world as divided between friends and enemies. To live the Eucharist, on the other hand, is to live inside God’s imagination. The Eucharist is the ritual enactment of the redemptive power of God, rooted in the torture, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ."

I pray for and desire to engage in Christian Formational Practices which will shape me to live inside God's Way for our world.

Comments

[Steve]

I wonder if someone could elaborate more on this issue. For me this issue, "torture being seen as permissable by over half of evangelicals" is more about the framework in which they construct ethics if anything else. I think to some extent that many evangelicals operate out of a utlitarian framework in which they can see torture beeing acceptable (a lesser evil) if it meant stoping a more significant terroist attack (a greater evil). Obviously this view is slippery at best, and we as a community especially evangelicals need a holistic model of the doctrine of humanity that includes, tortue, abortion, euthanasia, capitol punishment, war etc. Instead of taking a salad bar approach in which we abhor one type of violent behavior toward human life while approving another.

[Mike]

Well stated Steve. I couldn't agree more.

[Steve]

Unfortunately I have more questions then I do answers in regard to this issue.