As a corollary question to something brought up in one of Clyde's threads, do people really think that if we do not torture our prisoners, that our enemies will not torture their prisoners? Do people honestly think that if we take the high road, terrorist enemies that take our citizens as prisoners will follow our lead and take the high road also? I do not.

 

Have terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda signed the various conventions and treaties concerning the laws of war? Should we be bound by those conventions and treaties if our adversaries have not signed them and abided by them?

Terrorist enemies will continue to torture and the treaties and laws of war mean nothing to them. I sincerely hope other organized nations would abide by those treaties. That still does not make it ok simply because they will not stop, IMO. As pointed out in the other thread, what makes us any different at that point.

Terrorist enemies will continue to torture and the treaties and laws of war mean nothing to them. I sincerely hope other organized nations would abide by those treaties. That still does not make it ok simply because they will not stop, IMO. As pointed out in the other thread, what makes us any different at that point.

 

 

All humans are animals when pushed to the point of killing, once you've gone beyond that point why try to rationalize it? It doesn't make you any more moral when you are engaged in the organized ending of other human life.

No, but this is a country founded on Christian principles. We believe in due process to justice, not an eye-for-an-eye justice.

No, but this is a country founded on Christian principles. We believe in due process to justice, not an eye-for-an-eye justice.

 

I'm an Old Bible Christian.

No, but this is a country founded on Christian principles. We believe in due process to justice, not an eye-for-an-eye justice.

 

Is it possible that's just lip service from our country?

If we stop torture on our end I do not believe our enemies will change their methods at all.

Is it possible that's just lip service from our country?

 

Of course it is in many situations. Can you honestly say that you would turn the other cheek in every situation where you were harmed?

 

Does having a military (even for defense only purposes), a police force, prisons, etc. fit in a true, turn the other cheek belief system?

 

 

Which is why I'm not a big Bible person (sorry to those that are). I believe there are so many moral/value inconsistencies in the Bible, that many, many actions can be legitimized by some sections and condemned in others.

Personally, I think it's ridiculous that we feel like we have to take the high road. Then again, I'm the guy who has long advocated a cessation in spending on big, expensive bombs in favor of just emptying out our junkyards on hostile countries. I think we're missing out on a huge opportunity to both clean up our country and win the psychological battle by showing the crazies that we can out-crazy anybody. Nothing could get that point across better than dropping an old refrigerator on some terrorist camp.

Is the only reason we don't torture because we expect our enemies not to? No.

No, but this is a country founded on Christian principles.

 

Wait a minute. The liberal icon, Obama himself, says we're NOT a Christian nation:

President Obama said today that we are not a Christian nation, nor an Islam nation nor a Jewish nation.

 

http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/204016.aspx

 

 

Which is it?

 

(This sounds like liberal schizophrenia...)

Wait a minute. The liberal icon, Obama himself, says we're NOT a Christian nation:

 

 

 

This sounds like liberal schizophrenia. Which is it?

 

 

Christian principles does not equate Christian nation.

 

Our Democratic Republic was based on Greek and Roman principles as well, does this make us a Greek or Roman nation?

Is it possible that's just lip service from our country?

 

According to your own guy, in your own thread:

President Obama said today that we are not a Christian nation, nor an Islam nation nor a Jewish nation.

 

http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/204016.aspx

Personally, I think it's ridiculous that we feel like we have to take the high road. Then again, I'm the guy who has long advocated a cessation in spending on big, expensive bombs in favor of just emptying out our junkyards on hostile countries. I think we're missing out on a huge opportunity to both clean up our country and win the psychological battle by showing the crazies that we can out-crazy anybody. Nothing could get that point across better than dropping an old refrigerator on some terrorist camp.

 

 

Especially since that terrible new Indiana Jones movie proved that they can be used to survive nuclear blasts. :lol:

Is the only reason we don't torture because we expect our enemies not to? No.

 

You are absolutely right. But there have been some people (here and otherwise) that have argued against torture with the logic of: how can we expect our enemies not to use torture if we ourselves use torture? Which begs the question asked in this thread.