A "Christian" government's "severe interrogation"
If it is true, as a pandering John McCain asserted recently, that this is a “Christian nation” that is best governed by a Christian, then America is giving Christianity a bad name.
The besmirching has been going on quite a while. Think of “Christian” America’s record regarding native peoples, African slaves, African-Americans, Chinese workers, the internment of Japanese-Americans, the dropping of atom bombs on civilian populations, capital punishment, My Lai, Abu Ghraib, the environmental destruction of the planet ….
The list goes on and on and on.
Our virtuous “Christian” governance, if that is what it is, is as current as today’s headline.
The so-called Christian government of this so-called Christian nation, which is led by a so-called Christian president, is treating its enemies, to say nothing of innocent civilians, in a most un-Christ-like way.
Memo
To: George W. Bush
From: Jesus Christ
When is the last time you, regardless of your faith, showed your love for fellow human beings by slapping them in the head, holding them naked for hours in a frigid cell, denying them sleep for days and nights by battering them with thundering rock music, by manacling them in stress positions, or by waterboarding them? The latter creates the sensation of being drowned.
Christian nation? Christian government? Christian president?
Get real.
Let’s just forget the sanctimonious religious invocations and, to the best of our ability, do what is right and just and, yes, even compassionate. If we do that, we have the right to expect and, if need be, invite and even demand the same of our "enemies."
Media observation: The headline on the front page of today’s Oregonian reads, “U.S. secretly OK’d severe interrogations.”
“Severe interrogations”?
The lead to the story clearly refers to “torture” and brutality — a long way from “severe interrogations.”
On rare occasions under deadline stress, my interviews with reluctant sources (often paid PR “spokespersons”) could be described as “severe interrogations.”
No, save "severe" for the weather forecast. Severe storms, severe rains, severe winds.
Today’s headline reminds me of when the Oregonian uncritically passed on Neil Goldschmidt’s characterization of his relationship with a 14-year-old as fact in the following headline: GOLDSCHMIDT CONFESSES '70s AFFAIR WITH GIRL, 14.
I suppose readers should expect a front page that describes statutory rape as an “affair” to transform torture into “severe interrogation.”
The news is so much nicer that way — in this “Christian nation.”
The besmirching has been going on quite a while. Think of “Christian” America’s record regarding native peoples, African slaves, African-Americans, Chinese workers, the internment of Japanese-Americans, the dropping of atom bombs on civilian populations, capital punishment, My Lai, Abu Ghraib, the environmental destruction of the planet ….
The list goes on and on and on.
Our virtuous “Christian” governance, if that is what it is, is as current as today’s headline.
The so-called Christian government of this so-called Christian nation, which is led by a so-called Christian president, is treating its enemies, to say nothing of innocent civilians, in a most un-Christ-like way.
Memo
To: George W. Bush
From: Jesus Christ
LOVE YOUR ENEMY
When is the last time you, regardless of your faith, showed your love for fellow human beings by slapping them in the head, holding them naked for hours in a frigid cell, denying them sleep for days and nights by battering them with thundering rock music, by manacling them in stress positions, or by waterboarding them? The latter creates the sensation of being drowned.
Christian nation? Christian government? Christian president?
Get real.
Let’s just forget the sanctimonious religious invocations and, to the best of our ability, do what is right and just and, yes, even compassionate. If we do that, we have the right to expect and, if need be, invite and even demand the same of our "enemies."
Media observation: The headline on the front page of today’s Oregonian reads, “U.S. secretly OK’d severe interrogations.”
“Severe interrogations”?
The lead to the story clearly refers to “torture” and brutality — a long way from “severe interrogations.”
On rare occasions under deadline stress, my interviews with reluctant sources (often paid PR “spokespersons”) could be described as “severe interrogations.”
No, save "severe" for the weather forecast. Severe storms, severe rains, severe winds.
Today’s headline reminds me of when the Oregonian uncritically passed on Neil Goldschmidt’s characterization of his relationship with a 14-year-old as fact in the following headline: GOLDSCHMIDT CONFESSES '70s AFFAIR WITH GIRL, 14.
I suppose readers should expect a front page that describes statutory rape as an “affair” to transform torture into “severe interrogation.”
The news is so much nicer that way — in this “Christian nation.”
Labels: Christianity, George W. Bush, Jesus Christ, John McCain, water boarding
posted by Rick Seifert at
5:16 PM
3 Comments:
I always get a laugh when non-Christians try and pretend they know the mind of God.
Haven't you heard? We have separation of church and state, which means your assertions are without merit.
By the way it was the Democrat party that dragged the USA into a civil war, killing hundreds of thousands of other Americans - to protect their "right" to have slaves.
I mean really, if we want to stick to facts.
"I always get a laugh when non-Christians try and pretend they know the mind of God."
Then Bush should have you in stitches.
- Steve
"Let’s just forget the sanctimonious religious invocations and, to the best of our ability, do what is right and just and, yes, even compassionate. If we do that, we have the right to expect and, if need be, invite and even demand the same of our "enemies.""
How can we demand our way if our voice has no authority to back it? We could demand all we want from our enemies but if we dont show them a moral high ground, a better way of life and, dare I say, a mighty big Roosevelt sized hickory then they can turn and laugh at our hot air and call us French. Our words and actions must have substinance to back them. If they don't, we might as well turn over this country to whomever wants it because we don't deserve to be called America or Americans if we can't stand up.
And what is right? Jesus stood up for what He believed in. Have we forgotten that He whipped people and turned over the money tables in the Temple for turning it into a market place instead of a Holy place of worship? Have we forgotten that there is a thing called righteous anger? Anger that is right and carries with it a big whip? I hope that we haven't.
Oh and as far as severe goes... no one ever said modern journalists were good at bringing us fair and unbias news. I feel they need a "severe" flush of bodily fluids, given to them by forgein interrigators.
-AJ "Dead Man"
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