BLOGGING TOWARD SUNDAY…

Former vice-president Dick Cheney said recently, in defense of torture techniques, “These are evil people. And we’re not going to win this fight by turning the other cheek.” On the other side, President Barack Obama said on a recent episode of “60 Minutes,” “Are we going to just keep on torturing terrorist suspects until the entire Muslim world and Arab world despise us? Do we think that’s really going to make us safer?”

Want to know where the United Methodist Church stands on this issue? Here you go:

Our commitment to human rights is grounded in the conviction that each and every human life is sacred. Therefore the United Methodist Church endorses legislative and judicial remedies for the use of torture and illegal detention …such as the appointment of special counsels [and] appropriate investigations.

#6120 “Opposition to Torture” Book of Resolutions (2008)

And a bit more:

The Social Principles of The United Methodist Church condemns “. . . torture of persons by governments for any purpose,” and asserts that it violates Christian teachings. The church also through its Social Principles further declares, “we oppose capital punishment and urge its elimination from all criminal codes.”

Makes me proud to be a United Methodist!

Filed under: Blogging Toward Sunday