Results from a new Pew Forum poll released two days ago show that evangelicals and Catholics are more likely than other groups (and more likely than average) to approve of "the use of torture against suspected terrorists." They recently polled 742 people via phone to ask them "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?"
According to the report, 15% of US citizens said that torture against suspected terrorists can often be justified. Thirty-four percent said it could sometimes be justified; 22% said it could rarely be justified; 25% said it can never be justified; 4% refused to answer.
| often justified |
sometimes justified |
rarely justified |
never justified |
no answer | |
| White evangelical Protestants (sample size - 174) |
18% | 44% | 17% | 16% | 5% |
| White non-Hispanic Catholics (sample size - 122) |
19% | 32% | 27% | 20% | 2% |
| White mainline Protestants (sample size - 150) |
15% | 31% | 22% | 31% | 1% |
| Unaffiliated (sample size - 94) |
15% | 25% | 29% | 26% | 5% |
They also broke it down by regularity of church attendance.
| often justified |
sometimes justified |
rarely justified |
never justified |
no answer | |
| At least weekly (sample size - 336) |
16% | 38% | 19% | 19% | 2% |
| Monthly or a few times a year (sample size - 225) |
18% | 33% | 23% | 23% | 3% |
| Seldom or never (sample size - 168) |
12% | 30% | 27% | 27% | 5% |
The results of this poll prompted at least one person, Andrew Sullivan, to muse, "And people wonder why atheism is gaining in this country."
Fellow Examiner, Dylan Otto Krider, to a deeper look at this in his article, Church goers more likely to approve of torture.
Comments
It's what Jesus would do, you know.
Libtards, anti-America left wing zealots, and other assorted mamby-pamby weirdos are more likely to regard pink-bellies, wedgies, and noogies as extreme torture violating the Geneva Convention.
Let's see, Jesus was tortured because the government thought he was a threat to the peace and security of the superpower of that time...Yep, makes perfect sense that Evangelicals would support torture!
You beat me to the punch. This news just goes to show how immoral religion actually is.
polls polls polls and to cap it all by phone:- Phony baloney just as these comments
DuckieWhuckie u 'rock" man !!
Who would Jesus waterboard?
"anti-America left wing zealots" -- Americans need to be more worried about anti-American right wing zealots and anti-American Christians, people who have, over the last eight years, dragged the name of this nation through the mud, dismantled the Constitution, and bankrupted our economy.
This is no suprise.... The Catholic Church would have gone out of business after the renaissance if it wasn't for torture. The reconquista and catholic reformation mandated torture of any heritics, muslims, or anyone non-christian. Torture is the only reason this "peaceful" religion is still around...
And so if the majority of respondents to this poll were atheists and had the same results that would be okay? Come on Trina, it's a fallacy to charge Christianity with an accusation of supporting torture because some of its members think it's right. If a poll came out and said that a certain number of mechanics think it's justifiable to cheat me on my repair work, would that make all mechanics or the profession of car mechanics a sham? I don't think so. Besides, since Constantine in the third century the world has seemed to neglect that whole "loving your neighbors" thing. Maybe it's more that Christians need to be more Christianly, not that Christianity inherently promotes torture.
It's just that we good Christians know our Holy Bible and it tells us how God tortured LOTS of people. He made Ham's sons into slaves, slaughtered almost all humans and animals in the Great Flood, turned Lot's wife into a pillar of salt, killed infant boy babies in Egypt, etc. We know that if God can do all of those things in the name of Goodness, then we humans (who are made in His image) should dabble a little in torture also. It is one way that we can be more like God.
Christian,
Wow. No.
++ SIGN THE PETITION
Calling for the Indictment and Prosecution
of Bush, Cheney and Staffers for TORTURE and CONSPIRACY TO TORTURE
These are very well known Federal Capital Crimes - SEE THE LAW www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/usc_sup_01_18_10_I_20_113C.html
at ANGRYVOTERS.ORG
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