Religion and torture go side by side

[MastanKhan]

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Hi,

An interesting news clip on cnn today.


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The more often Americans go to church, the more likely they are to support the torture of suspected terrorists, according to a new survey.


The Washington Region Religious Campaign Against Torture rallied on Capitol Hill in March 2008.

More than half of people who attend services at least once a week -- 54 percent -- said the use of torture against suspected terrorists is "often" or "sometimes" justified. Only 42 percent of people who "seldom or never" go to services agreed, according to the analysis released Wednesday by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

White evangelical Protestants were the religious group most likely to say torture is often or sometimes justified -- more than six in 10 supported it. People unaffiliated with any religious organization were least likely to back it. Only four in 10 of them did.

The analysis is based on a Pew Research Center survey of 742 American adults conducted April 14-21. It did not include analysis of groups other than white evangelicals, white non-Hispanic Catholics, white mainline Protestants and the religiously unaffiliated, because the sample size was too small. See results of the survey »

The president of the National Association of Evangelicals, Leith Anderson, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The survey asked: "Do you think the use of torture against suspected terrorists in order to gain important information can often be justified, sometimes be justified, rarely be justified, or never be justified?"


Roughly half of all respondents -- 49 percent -- said it is often or sometimes justified. A quarter said it never is.

The religious group most likely to say torture is never justified was Protestant denominations -- such as Episcopalians, Lutherans and Presbyterians -- categorized as "mainline" Protestants, in contrast to evangelicals. Just over three in 10 of them said torture is never justified. A quarter of the religiously unaffiliated said the same, compared with two in 10 white non-Hispanic Catholics and one in eight evangelicals.

[jeypore]

Cnn is just playing the religious cards for the republicans. The people most acceptable for torturing are conservatives, and large votes come from the religious right. So, this pole is true, but CNN should have not played the religious card. Instead they should have taken the pole based on political views on the torturing issue.

[EyelessInGaza]

It's not religion and torture that go side by side; more that extremist interpretations of religion and torture are often willing bedfellows. The Spanish inquisitions, the Muslim - Crusader wars would be prime examples. Strong religious convictions sometimes imbue in people the belief that inflicting pain is sanctified by their God.

But you don't need religion; Soviet Russia's track record is hardly exemplary, and they officially did not have a God for most of the 20th century.

[white_pawn]

This is quite simple over here, its not the Religion and torture to go side by side, but its the way a person follow the religion.

If you want to follow religion go for it, but if you try to see every thing happening in the world in context to religion and try to imply your beliefs on others then there comes the problem. In this you will always see a fault in other persons doing or deeds.

So its the way a person follow the religion

[niaz]

I can only recount what I have seen and witnessed personally. And I have come across a lot of deeply religious people (Catholics, Protestants, Shias, Sunnis, Salafin, Sikhs, Jews and Hindus) intolerant, bigoted, ruthless and self righteous.

This applies to all religions. For example a Jewish lady near where I live will drive 3 miles to a Jewish News Agent but not purchase even a newspaper from nearby Indian corner ship. A Hindu lady, who worships every morning in a local temple, will not purchase things from a Hindu grocer because he is of low cost and never from a Muslim shop. A regularly church going policeman specially hung around an Irish pub towards closing time so that he could beat up drunken Irishmen. During my stay in the US I came across a Protestant clergyman who believed that whites were superior to blacks.

A friend from Sargodha told me that his village mullah wanted all those who attended funereal of a local Shia notable, to renew their “nikah’ as it had become ‘null’ because they had offered Janaza prayers behind a Shia cleric. I also came across Shias in Iran who thought Sunni were non Muslims. I have also come across traders from my own town who are cheats and dishonest in day to day dealings despite performing Hajj more than once. One such was even nicknamed as ‘Chor shah’.

I have often wondered why it is so. After much soul searching I came to conclusion that bigoted views and extreme actions have nothing at all to do with religion. It is the nature of the human being. Mankind comes in all versions. There are bad apples in all societies. There are as many if not more, good people who are deeply religious but we don’t seem to remember them; we only tend to remember the bad ones.

Additionally some criminals also practice religion to atone their sins. The person who killed Shaukat Mirza (MD of PSO) claimed that he asked his Lashkar Jhangvi leader to give him a work of “Sawab” and he was given the task of killing a prominent Shia. It is therefore possible that a lot of ruthless overtly religious people are actually criminals in disguise.

Finally, it is said that little knowledge is a dangerous thing. People with incomplete knowledge and understanding of religion tend to follow the views they believe are correct no matter how extreme. I was informed that some very religious people were distributing sweets around the mosques when they heard that ZA Bhutto was hanged.

Notwithstanding the groups lead by bigots such as Lashkar Jhangvi formed only to kill the Shias or Akali Dal of Sikhs formed to kill the Muslims, Klu KluxKlan for killing the Negros; it is my view that it is people who are to blame not the religion and I mean any religion. Human beings in general have very capricious nature.

[Bill Longley]

NIAZ


bravo

[Bill Longley]

i think religon is used by these criminals as a drug to give relief from guilt which tortures which conscience give them due to their acts

[Zob]

well abu gharib sees torture and burning of the quran stories keep coming up as well....what do we say to that...

[niaz]

Pray tell me where I have said that what is happening Abu Gharib or Guantanmo Bay is justified? I have never said or implied that US or Christians or Hindus are angels. There are as many criminals in US, Israel and Indian society masquerading as religious people. I am sorry but your example of Abu Gharib is totally out place here. It is a pity when very educated people read something which is not there. The subject of the thread is that religion and torture go together?

When would we learn that two wrongs don’t make a right? Hon sir, do you imply that just because a thief gets away with a robbery, you have a right to steal as well? As a nation we seem to be obsessed with trying to justify our actions somehow. I s this standard of debate in our society? I simply give up.

[Nomad]

Originally posted by Zob
well abu gharib sees torture and burning of the quran stories keep coming up as well....what do we say to that...

Abu Ghraib has been run by Iraqi's for sometime now. So they must be the ones doing the torturing and burning the Qu'ran. Oh by the way if you travel to Saudi Arabia and they find a Bible in your belongings, they throw it in the trash.
If you want to find faults the list is endless.

By the way Niaz --- Excellent post.

[Energon]

ummm.... Stalin´s gulag, pol pot- Khemer Rouge extravaganza anyone?

[Mark Sien]

Before some people start railing at Islam, know that Islam strongly forbids torture. To go against this is an act of disbelief, and those people cannot be considered adhering or 'religious' Muslims.

[white_pawn]

Mark Sien, its better to ignore those kind of posts so as to be able to stick to the point, and that is Religion and torture go side by side. no religion support to give permission for torture. As its inhuman and against Ethics of what religion stands for.

There are ppls who do this in the name of religion and its bcoz He/She have no idea about religion, that what can be understand from their deeds.

[toxic_pus]

Mr niaz, excellent post.

[toxic_pus]

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ummm.... Stalin´s ghoulag, pol pot- Khemer Rouge extravaganza anyone?

Very true, but none of those monsters killed or tortured in the name of atheism.