Baptists against torture

THE BAPTIST World Alliance (BWA) is having its annual gathering in Malaysia and Jamaica is well represented at this conference. The first person of African origin to be the general secretary of the BWA, Neville Callam, is a Jamaican. Other Jamaicans at the conference include Burchell Taylor, a vice-president of the Jamaica Baptist Union (JBU); Owen Crooks, president of the BWA Men's Movement; Everton Jackson, executive secretary/treasurer, Caribbean Baptist Fellowship (CBF); Cawley Bolt and Karl Johnson, president and general secretary, respectively, of the JBU; and Eron Henry, who serves as the associate director of communications, BWA. In addition, Stephen Jennings, former president of the JBU and Gillian Francis, executive director, Caribbean Christian Publications, are presenting papers.

Jamaicans are playing leading roles in the worldwide Baptist movement. It is therefore heartening that recently the Baptists came out against torture, claiming that it was against the teachings of Jesus.

The Baptists were forthright in condemning torture stating, "Torture is wrong, always and everywhere. Each human being is sacred in God's sight, and torture is an assault on that sacredness. Christians, as salt and light, should lead the way in their respective countries in the rejection of torture under all circumstances." Therefore, Jamaica should equivocally state once again at the United Nations that torture is illegal and immoral. This would make it clear that we are in solidarity with the millions of torture victims worldwide.

Protecting citizens?

There are some governments who believe that they have the right to use every means necessary, including torture, to protect their citizens. No one can deny that governments are responsible for protecting their people from external and domestic threats. This principle is biblically rooted (Rom 13:1-7). Protecting citizens from harm is very important, but it is not such an absolute right that it can be defended "by any means necessary". In the aftermath of the execution of Osama bin Laden, based on intelligence gathering, there were some members of the Republican Party in the United States who were taking credit claiming that the information gathered was a result of such practices as water boating, sleep deprivation and other techniques which are considered torture. There is no evidence of a causal relationship between torture and good intelligence gathering. And, even if it was so, the end would not justify the means.

Under international law, torture, slavery and genocide are prohibited under all circumstances. A nation's soldiers are permitted to slay enemy combatants in a just war; but soldiers are banned from torturing enemy combatants that are captured on the battlefield. Torture is terrible.

Torture is incompatible with the nature of human beings as created in the image of God and is, therefore, incompatible with the teachings of Jesus. All Jamaicans should oppose torture and report violations of human rights through the use of torture, and to support organisations that work for the abolition of torture and which expose torture.

What is torture? According to the United Nations Convention against Torture (1984), it is:

Any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession ... for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by ... or with the consent ... of a public official.

Torture by governments or their agents would include punishment, intimidation, and discrimination for the acquisition of information and intelligence. We must also encourage our security forces to refrain from torture in order to gather intelligence about wrongdoing, including gang activities. We must also be intolerant of parents or guardians who torture children.

Rev Devon Dick is the pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church, St Andrew. Send comments to columns@gleanerjm.com