Christianism And Torture

A reader writes:

I just finished reading "The Dark Side" and one of the things that struck me the most was the fact that so many of the people involved in condoning and justifying torture in the administration were devout Christians. And yet few if any of these people, up to and including the Christian-in-Chief, seem to have had any hesitation or misgivings about these practices.

Correct me if I am wrong; but these are the same people who claim that the example of this 1st Century Pacifist who was himself tortured to death is the guiding lite in their lives. I don't get it.

Me neither. Torture is for Christians an absolute non-negotiable. But when you believe that you are on a mission from God, then it can be easy to convince yourself that you are allowed to commit evil in the defense of good. This is an ancient moral dilemma. But it is always also new.