Loving our neighbors does not include torture

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On a long 90 minute run this morning I got to thinking about torture, and it wasn't because I was barefoot. I was thinking in terms of slogans. I came up with stuff like:

No terror information is worth moral violation.

No terrorist information by terrorist methods.

Of course it's easy to criticize but hard to offer a replacement. What would Jesus do with captured partisans/guerrillas/terrorists? The principle he taught is to love our neighbors as ourselves. There is not special category for enemies, they are neighbors. Criminals need to expect consequences. Soldiers can expect certain rights when captured too. Somehow partisans though can't get no rights. But if we Christians expect human rights, then we should demand them for captured partisans. Partisan forces are more than an organized crime syndicate but less than an army. They are somewhere between criminals and soldiers. They also have information. Mafia members seem to betray their family without torture and with incentives, e.g. shorter time in jail and the witness protection program.

I don't believe in the need for torture. The ends do not justify the means. Fighting fire with fire is not the same as fighting evil with evil. Please forgive my country Lord and bring conviction and repentance. Let us love our neighbors as ourselves.

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