Today is the day that Christians finally removed their masks and revealed their true colors.  We're all familiar with the masks.  Whether it is the nice old lady who helps out with organizing the weekly bulliten, the young couple who host small groups at their home, the CEO of a company who is vocal about his faith, and a million other disguises.

The outside of the masks are designed to fool us - they depict people who are admittedly imperfect, who sin, but who accepted Jesus into their hearts and were forgiven of their sins.  BUT - they also depict people who vow to do their best (even though they will fail and will need forgiveness again) to live a Christ like life.

But when the masks are pulled off - we get to see the truth.  Under their sheepish disguises lie snarling, hate filled people who posess razor sharp teeth and forked tongues.  The unmasking was done via a CNN article citing a Pew Research Center poll that showed that 54% of people who attended church services at least once per week agreed that using torture against suspected terrorists is often or sometimes justified.  Of course, the group with the highest thirst for blood were the white Evangelical Christians, who backed torture over 60% of the time.

So, is it time to stop calling these people Christians?  Should we call on the progressive and moderate Christians to wage a full on war with the extremists in their party - just as we have demanded the moderate people of the Islamic faith stop the extremists from using terrorism? 



OVER HALF OF CHRISTIANS HAVE SUPPORTED SOMETHING JESUS WOULD DETEST


"But what about 9/11" you hear them shriek.  "They hit us first" These people have neither a grip on the United States lengthy and sometimes very dirty roll in Middle Eastern affairs, nor a basic ability to practice what Jesus preaches.  And it should be pointed out that the specific question was written with the word TORTURE in it.  We're not talking about about the way Bush & Co. described it to avoid going to jail - "harsh interrogation techniques."  The question said TORTURE. 


Christianity was based on the teachings of Jesus Christ.  I don't want to over generalize his message, but in essence he was anti greed, anti war, anti hate, etc.  He consorted with those who society deemed unworthy (Prostitutes and Lepers).  He took on the corruption in the church.  There are many passages in the bible that illustrate the generalizations above - but the following one shines a pretty bright light on the dark souls of today's Evangelical:


You have learned that they were told, "Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth." But what I tell you is this: Do not set yourself against the man who wrongs you. If someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn and offer him your left. If a man wants to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well. If a man in authority makes you go one mile, go with him two. Give when you are asked to give; and do not turn your back on a man who wants to borrow.

Matthew 5:38-42

Really Christians?  I don't want to hear any of your bullshit about misunderstanding the passage.  If you can turn this one around, you can turn every passage in the bible around to fit whatever position you choose to espouse- and that's making a mockery of what you profess to respect.  You are bound to live a Christ-like life, and somehow to you that means approving of your government torturing suspected terrorists.  Where do you draw the line? 

The question simply asked when torture was justified to gain information from suspected terrorists. It didn't lie out what type of torture it would be.  It could have been waterboarding.  Conservatives like love to say that waterboarding isn't torture.  They are wrong, but even on their own "logic", if it isn't torture, why did we execute the Japanese for doing it to us after World War II?  And again - it wasn't specific as to the type of torture Christians would just love to perform - oh, no I mean were OK with their Government performing.  So you are OK with pulling out their fingernails?  So a slow disemboweling is something you could support? 

You probably have convinced yourself that what we did wasn't torture.  Conservatives and Christians are notorious for comparing a current event to your twisted perceptions of your own past.  "In my day we went through worse at college hazing", etc.  But you didn't . And if you did your fraternity really did the types of things that we did to our prisoners, you are probably a sociopath and a sex slave in the box under your bed.  It's either that, or have you REALLY convinced yourself that YOUR Jesus would be OK with a little torture.  Since we're only burning brown people, and since they're going to burn in hell anyway - why not just get them used to the pain now.  Hell - you're actually doing them a favor! 

And what's your position on torture murder?  Would it change your answer to know that there were prisoners who died from their injuries.  Injuries from being tortured?  They were taken into a room and tortured so severely and so often that they died.  If one of our citizens tortures then murders someone - they get the fast track to the needle.  And you cheer and applaud. But you did it Mr. & Mrs. Evangelical Christian.  YOUR President who YOU voted for TWICE did this - and you are complicit. 

It would have been so refreshing if you had looked at the passages in your bible, looked at the pictures from Abu Ghraib, and take a hard stand against this abomination.  I know you know that word well.  You use it to describe "the gays".  But again - if there is a Jesus - and he's everything the bible preaches - I can guarantee you that he'd be much more disgusted by torture than letting a loving couple marry each other. 

And if I'm wrong, and he's up there applauding his believers for their stance on torture, than I'll be glad to be roasting in Hell.  And let's be honest - we've got as much chance of Trey Parker & Matt Stone being right with their big homo gay Satan version of Hell anyway.