Rabbi Brian Walt speaks as part of NRCAT press conference responding to Pew Survey on religious Americans and torture.

Rabbi Brian Walt, RHR-NA Executive Director, participated in a recent press conference of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, responding to the recent survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life demonstrating that Americans who attend church the most often are also the most likely to support the use of torture in the interrogation of suspects. NRCAT's press release is below. To hear a recording of the press conference, please click here.

NATIONAL RELIGIOUS CAMPAIGN AGAINST TORTURE

For immediate release - May 7, 2009

In the Wake of Pew Survey Showing Support for Torture Among Various Religious Denominations, Religious Leaders Call for Commission of Inquiry and Greater Discussions of Torture Within Congregations

Contact:    Steve Fox, Fenton Communications, 202-822-5200 or sfox@fenton.com
Rev. Richard Killmer, NRCAT, at 202-547-1920 (cell 207-450-7242) or rkillmer@nrcat.org

Washington, DC -- In response to a recently released survey from the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life on attitudes toward torture among various religious denominations, the National Religious Campaign Against Torture held a telephone press conference with prominent religious leaders this morning. 
 
Prominent topics and themes addressed during the conference call included -

The need for a Commission of Inquiry to make public the details, scope and consequences of the use of torture by the United States following 9-11, so that Americans fully appreciate that torture is wrong under all circumstances.
The need for faith leaders - specifically during Torture Awareness Month in June - to speak to their congregations about the immorality of torture and the need for people of faith to be vocal and visible about opposing it.
The first speaker on the call, NRCAT board president Linda Gustitus, emphasized these two themes.

"We cannot be confident that the United States will never use torture again unless the American people, including people of faith, believe it is wrong to do so -- under all circumstances," said Gustitus.  "That's why we need a Commission of Inquiry to make public the details, scope and consequences of the use of torture by the United States following 9-11.  The National Religious Campaign Against Torture believes that a complete report and analysis of what was done will illuminate the reasons why, and forge the national consensus that, torture is immoral, illegal and prohibited by national and international law without exception."

"To overcome and move beyond the torture representatives of this nation committed in our name, we must employ both facts and faith; we must have both public witnesses and public witness," continued Gustitus.  "We are asking faith leaders in congregations across the country to help their congregants see the horrors of the facts of torture through the eyes of their faith.  We need faith leaders to be educators and to encourage individuals of faith to be vocal in their opposition to torture."

Dr. David Gushee, President of Evangelicals for Human Rights and the author of a provocative piece about torture and religion that appeared on the Associated Baptist Press Web site earlier this week, talked about his disappointment in the findings of the Pew survey.

"My opinion piece was a prayer," said Gushee.  "It reflected the deep pain in my heart about the fact that so many evangelical Christians currently respond favorably to torture.  I was asking Jesus, what has gone so wrong with his followers.  After all that we know, how can there still be an acceptance of torture?  This is not just public policy issue, this is a moral issue.  There is evidence of a moral drift under fear of terrorism and we must have the goal of establishing moral objection to torture."

Rabbi Brian Walt, Executive Director, Rabbis for Human Rights - North America, discussed why some individuals in this country may support the use or torture, but explained, from the perspective of the Jewish faith, why it is important that we all stand against it. 
"Many people in our faith communities support torture out of fear, out of a sense that it will make them safer," said Walt.  "But there are some values that violate our core principles and should never be compromised.   The absolute ban on torture is one of them.  Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel taught, 'In a democratic society, some are guilty, but all are responsible.'  All Americans, not only those leaders who sanctioned and encouraged the use of torture, are responsible.   Soul searching and taking responsibility for our acts is part of all of our traditions.  We all colluded in these acts by our silence and our quiet acquiescence.  That is why it is essential that we have a Commission of Inquiry, a full accounting for the use of torture.   Without taking full responsibility, our society will never be able to make a clear and unambiguous commitment never to use torture again."

Presbyterian minister and No2Torture coordinator Rev. Carol Wickersham expressed the group's collective determination to continue the fight to end torture for good in this nation. 

"Do we still have our work cut out for us? Yes," said Wickersham.  "As the polls show and experience confirms, we need to make it clear that we believe it is Jesus Christ, not Jack Bauer who saves us.  Our story line is not the ticking time bomb scenario; our story is the gospel, a story of triumph over torture and death.   Some would say this is a naïve story.  Not at all. Our story is a courageous one that insists that perfect love casts out fear.  Therefore, with NRCAT we call for humane interrogations, real support for our troops and true global security and the insistence that we are one nation under God and under law."

For more information about NRCAT's call for a Commission of Inquiry:

Click "Call for a Commission of Inquiry" at www.tortureisamoralissue.org