NAE Says No to Torture

Good News, the National Association of Evangelicals has voted to accept a statement that condemns the use of torture by the US in the pursuit of the "war on terror." A report in the LA Times online states:

The statement, "An Evangelical Declaration Against Torture: Protecting Human Rights in an Age of Terror," was drafted by 17 evangelical scholars, writers and activists who call themselves Evangelicals for Human Rights. The board of the National Association of Evangelicals, an umbrella group, announced late Sunday that it had endorsed the document.Several of the drafters have been advocates for a broader policy focus for Christian conservatives beyond abortion and marriage. One of the co-authors, the Rev. Rich Cizik, the NAE's Washington policy director, has drawn criticism from Focus on the Family founder James Dobson and others for his environmental activism.

As Christians it is really quite difficult to justify torture under any circumstances. In this Lenten season we prepare to go to the cross with our Lord. Jesus, the suffering servant, who was tortured by the Imperial Roman government's agents, witnesses to the immorality of such acts. That such a statement would cause any controversy within the Evangelical community makes clear how far we as Christians often are from the gospel.