Religion News Service
(RNS) "Truly, I say to you, as
you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me."
That is the teaching of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of
Matthew. Likewise, the Golden Rule states, "Do unto others
as you would have them do unto you."
These are the underpinnings not only for Christianity, but
for many of the world's great religions. And these are the
tenets of the faith claimed by former President George W.
Bush.
That's why Bush's prideful defense of torture in his new
memoir, Decision Points, is utterly
incomprehensible to me. It's also unrecognizable to the
fundamental values of this country, and of Bush's own
professed Christian faith.
In his memoir, Bush writes that he said "damn right" when
the CIA asked for permission to use waterboarding on Khalid
Sheikh Mohammed. He also admitted to authorizing
waterboarding for other "senior al-Qaida leaders."
"Had I not authorized waterboarding ... I would have had to
accept a greater risk that the country would be attacked,"
he writes.
His claim that the use of waterboarding "saved lives" is
unfounded. Much to the contrary, the use of waterboarding
and other torture techniques has cost the lives of both
American soldiers and civilians. Torture does not make us
safer; it makes us more of a target.
Bush has said in the past that "the United States does not
torture," leading one to assume that he actually believes
that waterboarding is not torture. But there is no doubt
that waterboarding is, in fact, torture.
Waterboarding is torture under the definition in the U.N.
Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment. After being signed by
President Reagan in 1988 and ratified by the Senate in 1994,
this treaty became U.S. law.
Current Attorney General Eric Holder testified during his
confirmation hearings in 2009 that "waterboarding is
torture." He was unequivocal: "We prosecuted our own
soldiers for using it in Vietnam," he said.
As the United States reported to the United Nations in 1998
as part of our obligation under the U.N. Convention Against
Torture:
"Torture is prohibited by law throughout the United States.
It is categorically denounced as a matter of policy and as a
tool of state authority. Every act constituting torture
under the Convention constitutes a criminal offence under
the law of the United States. No official of the government,
federal, state or local, civilian or military, is authorized
to commit or to instruct anyone else to commit torture. Nor
may any official condone or tolerate torture in any form.
No exceptional circumstances may be invoked as a
justification of torture."
We are now confronted with the fact that a president of the
United States has openly acknowledged ordering torture. It
is a sad and shameful moment. And, it is one we cannot let
pass without consequence. Under our own laws, we must hold
ourselves accountable; former President Bush has left us no
choice.
The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT), a
coalition of more than 290 religious organizations
representing most of the major faith groups, has called for
an independent counsel to investigate possible criminal
wrongdoing. In addition, the coalition has asked for a
Commission of Inquiry to take testimony about U.S.-sponsored
torture, review all the records, and report to the public
what it learns. It would also recommend safeguards to ensure
that torture by the United States never happens again.
We must demand of ourselves what we demand of others in the
international community, and what all major faiths require
of us: respect for the dignity and value of every human
being, a manifestation of that which is most holy.
The Rev. Michael Kinnamon is an ordained minister in the
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and was reelected
Tuesday (Nov. 9) to a second four-year term as General
Secretary of the National Council of Churches.