Didn’t answer my question, what would YOU have the President tell the guys holding some jihadist with vital info on the safety of not only YOUR family but thousands of others?
And if Frank’s premise is true, (Church is against tortue in ALL circumstances) what does a Catholic President do, when presented a Bin Laden henchmen is in custody with knowledge of another 9-11, but he ain’t talkin, and our guys on waitin on the word from the top to start the waterboarding.
Hmmmmmmm.
In regards to your question about what I would do, I cannot answer that with certitude. I hope and pray that I would follow the teaching of my Church. However, I know that I would be impacted by fear, hatred, and concern for my life, the life of my family, and the lives of thousands of others. That would definitely tempt me to engage in the inherently evil act of torture.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regarding what the Church says about torture, here is a reference from the Cathechism:
2297 Kidnapping and
hostage taking bring on a reign of terror; by means of threats they subject their victims to intolerable pressures. They are morally wrong.
Terrorism threatens, wounds, and kills indiscriminately; it is gravely against justice and charity.
Torture which uses physical or moral violence to extract confessions, punish the guilty, frighten opponents, or satisfy hatred is contrary to respect for the person and for human dignity. Except when performed for strictly therapeutic medical reasons, directly intended
amputations,
mutilations, and
sterilizations performed on innocent persons are against the moral law.
91
<A href=“javascript:OpenPopupWindow(”
<A HREF=# onclick=window.opener.SetPage(“pt3sect2chpt2art5.htm#2267”)>2267
")">2298 In times past, cruel practices were commonly used by legitimate governments to maintain law and order, often without protest from the Pastors of the Church, who themselves adopted in their own tribunals the prescriptions of Roman law concerning torture. Regrettable as these facts are, the Church always taught the duty of clemency and mercy. She forbade clerics to shed blood. In recent times it has become evident that these cruel practices were neither necessary for public order, nor in conformity with the legitimate rights of the human person. On the contrary, these practices led to ones even more degrading. It is necessary to work for their abolition. We must pray for the victims and their tormentors.