try again-would a christian president allow torture of a human being?

Question

is our president christian?
does christianity condone torture of human beings?

thanks for all the answers-enjoy the night

Answer 1

It seems that most answers have deteriorated into "Bush Bashing" rather than really answering the question.

Your last question is the most important - does Christianity condone torture of human beings. Christians believe in both the Old and New Testament. The Old Testament clearly defines that God does call us to Holy War. It is also clear that in war and Holy War, terrible things happen.

An early Christian Father indicated to the Emperor that Christians would not fight in war because of the teachings of Jesus. But this one person view (to the best of my memory) was not endorsed by the church. The church felt that the concept of Holy War was a tool that God calls us to and affirmed.

Unless you have been to war, it is difficult to criticize others. My father fought in World War II. He was at Normandy, the Liberation of Paris, and the Battle of the Argonne Forest, better known as the Battle of the Bulge. The horrors he saw were beyond words and changed his life forever. I suffered from that war because of my dad's pain which turned to alcoholism.

But I have also seen the stories of the Holocaust from my dad who helped liberate one of the camps. I've read the "experiments" Hitler did in those camps. I read about the rape and torture of women and little girls. I read the story of the gas baths, the extreme malnutrition, the ash trays made out of Jewish skullcaps and the lampshades made from Jewish skin and I understand why my dad believed he was fighting a Holy War against an Anti-Christ.

I also know that the Constitution describes the rights we have as citizens. That right has never in history been granted to non citizens until recently. In times of war, those rights have been suspended even for citizens.

Forget George Bush, It was the founder of the New Deal, the Liberal Democrat, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, also a Christian, who suspended the rights of Japanese-American citizens. They were taken off to concentration camps in California. The nation supported it on the understanding that we were at war.

I don't believe that Jesus condoned Roosevelt's actions, nor do I believe he condones torture. But unless you have been at war, you cannot understand the terrible stress our Armed Forces face. The things they see often drive good Christians over the brink and things happen that they won't be proud of later. That doesn't make them non-Christians, it makes them sinners who continue to need the grace of God.

As for President Bush, your other question, who are any of us to judge whether or not he is a Christian? A Christian is a person who accepts Jesus as Lord and believes he has resurrected from the dead. President Bush has made very plain that he believes this.

Only God has the right to judge his heart and faith. None of us have that right, not even an atheist. Unless we can read a man's soul, how can we judge their faith.

You can judge a man's actions, but not his heart. You can question whether he has chosen the best routes or the wisest choices, but you can't read his heart.

I don't judge Roosevelt. He manipulated the Supreme Court in a way forbidden by the balance of power. He began the practice of appointing judges by a "litmus" test. His social programs helped get us out of the Great Depression and laid the foundation for a welfare state that traps people in poverty. And he tortured American citizens in concentration camps.

I have a right to question the things he did. But I would never have the audacity to question his faith. I believe that he and George W Bush are Christians. I have no doubt that both men believed in Jesus Christ. I also have no doubt that both men made decisions that only history can judge.

I expect a lot of thumbs down, which is fine. I would not personally fight in a war, though I considered being a chaplain. But I will never question the hearts of good Christian men and women who fight this war and conduct this war. And I hope no one else does either.

Pastor John

Answer 2

Yes our President is a Christian. And no, Christianity does not condone the torture of human beings. It would be great if the answer you were looking for could be answered this simply. But our laws have been in place throughout our history and put their by many, many, men and women. And that question must be put before all our Presidents, because all claimed to be Christian, and all worked within the laws that are on the books. I imagine the word 'torture' is very subjective..... obviously. It's a shame that we hold our President up higher than we hold ourselves. Is it Christian to gossip? Is it Christian to envy? Is it Christian to bear false witness?..... Get my point!

Answer 3

Don't worry a lot of poeple are confused about this same subject. The truth is that god doesn't torture us at all, our father loves us. When we die we instantly return to the father. In heaven there is a gulf that separates the good from the bad. The only torture is seeing god and knowing that there is a posibility that you can be blotted out if you don't get your act together during the millinium. Read Luke: 16 it's documented there.

Answer 4

You would have to define the treatment of torture; are your referring to, playing to much load music until the people that killed 5000 people talk about future events that may prevent the slaughter of 1000's more lives. Our maybe hosing someone down that just killed US troops that may have information to stop another road side Bomb that may kill a few hundred more. Or embarrassing them to much to stop maybe a Gas attack that might kill the population of say, NJ. I do not believe this president of the United states or any other President would condone torture to the extent to take another person's life. Not like say where Islamic extremists decapitated the reporter Mr. pearl.
We all have to search for answers to questions like this one and all we can do is pray our leaders make a right moral choice in their decisions that keep us safe.

Answer 5

well You know since this probably applies to the Iraq war, you really should ask some Iraq veterans to answer as they know best what is what..
Also what do you define as torture. The interrogation of prisoners saves our soldiers lives. So when we don't get the truth out of them in war time we sacrifice our own men.
Will you let your own brother or sister die because you didn't want to get rough with a prisoner?? YOUR brother?
Ask the real veterans that have been there..

Now if you are asking if GWB is a Christian then I have other reasons for saying that I don't believe he is. Nothing to do with torture..

Answer 6

As a Christian I do not look at Bush as a fellow Christian...Why?

He is a member of the Bones and Skulls

Look at the war ...hello that is enough

His conversation with Tony Blair

There is more to being a Christian then "name it claim it"

There has been nothing in his actions that has shown me that he is a Christian

Answer 7

You are asking as if there was a sinless Christian in the world. There isn't!

It isn't very Christian to do a lot of things! I as a Christian am not a Christian because it helps me maintain a goal of perfection! NO!

I am a Christian because I trust God through Jesus Christ.

If you can't understand that, then I can't help you here.

Answer 8

I do not believe a true christian would sanction violence or torture of any kind. He did not say the world in his last message for us to go forth and spread the faith through cruelty and indignity but war is often necessary and sometimes what must be must be.

Answer 9

I'm not a liberal or a fan of Carter, but I was pretty disturbed when he revealed the internal memo that condoned the use of water boarding and head bashing against people not even charged with a crime (such as Guantanamo). That's just evil.

I don't know how hitting someone around and trying to drown them (in "jest") is not considered torture. Not to mention the accused have little way to appeal their confinement, which can go on for years. How would you feel about America if the country arrested you on the "suspicion" of a crime and tortured its prisoners, with almost no way of legal responsibility? That sounds like something from a third world country, not the "moral paradigm" of the world.

Let me be clear: I hate Islamic fanaticism. I'm not sucking up to terrorists. If they are guilty of a crime, imprison them and throw away the key. If they planted a bomb in a public locale, interrogate them -- if the evidence was solid and this bomb could kill thousands of people in a short amount of time, I'd agree with the guy above. Problem is, it is almost never like this scenario. The torture of "enemy combatants" who are not charged with a crime and whose information is not pertinent is -- wait for it -- wrong.

America must have better respect for human rights if our principles are to have any importance in the world today.

Answer 10

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