Friday, May 1, 2009

Interesting Survey Results.... From CNN Reporter Jack Cafferty's Blog

"FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

As the debate about torture rages on in Washington — with calls for investigations of the Bush administration — here’s a perhaps surprising nugget about how Americans view torture of suspected terrorists.

Turns out the more often people go to church, the more likely they are to support torture — that’s according to a new survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

The poll finds that of more than half of Americans who attend church services at least once a week, 54 percent say the use of torture is often or sometimes justified.

Only 42 percent of people who seldom or never go to church agree…

Evangelical Protestants are the religious group most likely to agree; while people unaffiliated with any religious group are least likely to support torture.

Of course evangelicals were a major voting bloc courted by President Bush both times he ran for office; and former Bush officials continue to speak out now about how the harsh techniques yielded critical information that helped keep this country safe. But it’s ironic that the faithful are more supportive of torture, isn’t it?

Overall, Pew found 49 percent of Americans say torture is at least “sometimes” justified; while 47 percent say it rarely or never is. Republicans are more likely to support the actions than Democrats; while a majority of Independents believe that torture is sometimes justified.

Here’s my question to you: Why is it that the more often Americans go to church, the more likely they are to support torture of suspected terrorists?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?"

Go to CNNPolitics.com's "Cafferty File" at: http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/01/why-are-frequent-churchgoers-more-likely-to-support-torture/#more-5638

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This does not surprise me nor should it anyone who is familiar and aware that most humanist seem more ChristLIKE than the vast majority of self-righteous Christians.

It's usually a label not a lifestyle, most often used to hide behind and not to spiritually impliment many or in some cases any of the compassion, truth or humanism found in an agnostic or a spiritual seeker.

Noone gives what they do not have...smitty

NS said...

An Interesting (Though I Would Like to Research it More) Quote that I received via ffrf.org:

“As Empress, Catherine endeavoured to enforce the enlightened humanitarian views of the great French Rationalists, with whom she was in complete sympathy. Her reforms, in regard to education, justice, sanitation, industry, etc., were of great value” (Joseph McCabe, "A Biographical Dictionary of Modern Rationalists")