White evangelical Christians in the USA are now on record as being overwhelmingly in favor of illegal torture if there is a chance that it may advance our national interests. I have to say this – there are days when I want to be something else. This kind of stuff embarrasses the rest of us white evangelicals.
Do you think the use of torture against suspected terrorists in order to gain important information can often be justified, sometimes be justified, rarely be justified, or never be justified? (Pew Research Center Poll)
More than 60 percent of surveyed white evangelicals were willing to go on record in support of torture if it might advance our national interests. This position represented a marked difference of opinion from those unaffiliated with any religious group. Those with no religious affiliation were the least likely to condone torture of suspected enemies.
Something is gravely wrong with this story. I will resist the pressing urge to rant about this for several thousand words. Justifying torture for any reason is so philosophically, theologically, and morally bankrupt that it is not worth arguing too hard against. Those who are willing to justify this misconduct in the name of national interests idolatry are all too happy to twist some truths while ignoring other truths.
I will limit myself to a few thoughts:
- The US government has engaged in a sustained practice of torturing people suspected of being enemies of the state. These people have, by and large, never been proven to be enemies because our government has not been bothered to conduct trials.
- The US government has engaged in a sustained pattern of violating basic human rights as recognized by historic Christianity, many international treaties and conventions, and our own rhetoric (only when it’s China, North Korea, or some other country though).
- The US government has engaged in practices that are widely considered to be illegal and immoral and that do in fact constitute torture.
- Christians who support this type of activity are placing national interests (kingdom of USA) ahead of Kingdom interests (Kingdom of God and Jesus).
- Christians are called to love our enemies, and to pray for and do good to those who would mistreat us.
- Christians, by definition, are people who act like Jesus – not like the world. Christians have, by definition, abandoned the pursuit of earthly kingdoms in favor of the pursuit of a heavenly Kingdom.
- When Christians engage in this type of thinking and conduct we prove to the entire world that pagans are more moral people than the professing people of God! When white evangelicals are 50 percent more likely to support immoral and illegal actions against other human beings than acknowled irreligious people are the entire Christian community is embarrassed. More importantly our King, Jesus, is embarrassed.
This news would all be troubling enough but I read this on the same day that I learned of a new Bible released by Thomas Nelson. Nelson introduces their new American Patriot’s Bible in this way:
THE ONE BIBLE THAT SHOWS HOW ‘A LIGHT FROM ABOVE’ SHAPED OUR NATION. Never has a version of the Bible targeted the spiritual needs of those who love our country more than The American Patriot’s Bible. This extremely unique Bible shows how the history of the United States connects the people and events of the Bible to our lives in a modern world. The story of the United States is wonderfully woven into the teachings of the Bible and includes a beautiful full-color family record section, memorable images from our nation’s history and hundreds of enlightening articles which complement the New King James Version Bible text. Thomas Nelson website
You can probably read between the lines and guess where Nelson is going with this product. Then again maybe not. The reviews that I have read baffled me with the blatant and unapologetic blasphemy and national idolatry. I am distressed that a major publisher like Thomas Nelson would stoop to this level and publish this kind of trash.
Consider what Greg Boyd had to write when asked to review this Bible:
One of the more unsettling aspects of the Patriot’s Bible is the way it unashamedly glorifies nationalistic violence. Almost every nation and tribe throughout history has shared the idolatrous assumption that its military victories were evidence of divine favor. This has been a staple of pagan religion from the start. From its earliest days this same assumption has permeated American culture, it’s just that our tribal warrior god was called “Jesus” or “Jehovah.” In the Patriot’s Bible, this idolatrous mythology is given the appearance of divine authority by being interwoven into the biblical narrative.
From cover to cover, and in a wide variety of ways, the Patriot’s Bible is filled with glorified nationalistic violence. A good portion of its commentaries focus on America’s victorious wars (Vietnam, not so much) and on war heroes. Moreover, the introduction of every book of the Bible is accompanied with a montage of national monuments, symbols, stars and stripes, etc…that include, with few exceptions, images of armed soldiers, bombers and battleships. Most remarkably, each Gospel (The Good News of Jesus Christ!) opens with a picture that includes soldiers struggling to raise a flag under the words “In God We Trust.” All the subsequent books of the New Testament open with a montage that includes a flag waving behind the Statue of Liberty on one side and armed marching troops on the other.
When you consider the uniform and emphatic teaching of Christ and the New Testament authors that followers of Jesus are called to love and do good to our enemies, laying down our lives for them if necessary, this overt celebration of America’s violent victories over our national enemies is absolutely stunning. When you consider that Jesus explicitly repudiated Jewish nationalism (despite the fact that Israel, unlike America, actually had a special status with God) and that the New Testament consistently teaches that Gods’ Kingdom transcends national boundaries, the Patriot’s Bible celebration of American violence becomes more shocking still. Greg Boyd
Boyd writes in another article:
The particular example of nationalistic idolatry I’ve discuss in this post occurs in the Preface of the Patriot’s Bible, and it tragically sets the tone for this entire work. From cover-to-cover, the biblical text is co-opted and made to serve American patriotism. I have 17 pages of single-spaced examples that are similar to this (some of which I’ll share in subsequent blogs, others of which will be published in my review at Out of Ur. In my opinion, the pervasiveness and egregiousness of the nationalistic idolatry found in Patriot’s Bible is nothing short of shocking.
I encourage you to read the Bible — but not this one! Greg Boyd
Something tells me that Thomas Nelson would not have released this edition if they were not confident of a large market for this type of nationalistic garbage. I can only hope and pray that American Christianity finds its’ collective conscience and sends a loud message to the Christian publishing business by not buying this type of junk.
The slide into consumer Christianity has been long and well documented. I will not rehash it here. However, I think consumer Christianity may have fully arrived. And that is not good news for anyone interested in taking the words and example of King Jesus seriously.
I have compiled a few links that I wholeheartedly recommend. Kudos to Skye Jethani and Greg Boyd – both of whom have the courage and moral integrity to publicly stand against this disgrace. May grace and peace abound for you both. Thanks also to my good friend Iggy (Carlos) for providing a link to one of Greg Boyd’s posts.
Links
- Skye Jethani: Tortured Conscience
- Greg Boyd – The Patriot’s Bible and Justified Torture
- Greg Boyd – Reflections on an Idolatrous Bible
- Greg Boyd – The Patriot’s Bible – Really?
- CNN – Survey: Support for Terror Suspect Torture Differs Among the Faithful
NOTE: Comments are welome; however, don’t waste either of our time with blasphemous, disrespectful, discourteous, or irrelevant words.
