Sunday, December 21, 2014

Torture

You cannot be a Catholic and condone torture.  The Catholic Church teaches torture is an intrinsic evil, which means to be in any way associated with it is a sin.  To merely accept it is a sin.
“The Catholic Church firmly believes that torture is an ‘intrinsic evil’ that cannot be justified under any circumstance,” said Bishop Oscar Cantu, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, in a statement following the report’s release.
Intrinsic evil means there is no possible justification, but I am just repeating the obvious.

The "ticking time bomb" defense of torture is an impossible scenario in real life, in spite of its constant use in drama.  None of the "if"s can be known, and are unlikely in any event.

There are nine ways you can get into the sin of torture.

I. By counsel
II. By command
III. By consent
IV. By provocation
V. By praise or flattery
VI. By concealment
VII. By partaking
VIII. By silence
IX. By defense of the ill done


You would not know that listening to almost all Catholic radio.  You'd assume otherwise.  They are quite assiduous in condemning abortion, but quite tolerant of torture.  Both abortion and torture are intrinsic evils, and not a matter of prudential judgment, say like the death penalty.

This may be because largely unbeknownst to the naifs who have radio programs, the programs with solid pro-torture hosts somehow, oddly, find an abundance of financial support.  It is known the "intelligence" agencies, pro-torture state apparati, lavishly fund media, we are only uninformed as to which programs they fund.

No one ever has to tell such hosts what to say, they have said it so many times before that they are reliable.  Just add funding, and crowd out seamless garment Catholicism.

I listened to a Catholic business commentator long ago question in all sincerity the USA attack on Iraq, and that was the last time his show was ever on the radio, as far as I could tell.  Crowded out by better funded programs, no doubt.

People of good will, uncertain on the abortion question, hear Catholic Radio defend torture, once by 1 3 5 6 and 8 above, and now 9... and knowing the intrinsic evil of torture, hearing Catholic Radio defend torture, come to doubt its perspicacity on abortion.

I listened to an interview last week of a prominent moral theologian who when asked about torture as intrinsic evil answered it is morally licit to deprive people of their liberty.  A non-sequiter, but there you have it, on the question of torture the answer, somewhat foggy, includes "morally licit."

Once upon a time the President of University of San Francisco, Pres. Lo Schiavo shut down the celebrated basketball program because it was corrupt.  Perhaps it is time to investigate the pro-torture, pro-war bent of Catholic radio, and discern if it is a net deficit for spreading the faith.

China only wants what the USA has, a Church that is subject to the State.

Feel Free To Email This To Three Friends.

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