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Church of the Brethren annual meeting delegates condemn use of torture
By Ankita Rao Religion News ServicePITTSBURGH — Members of the Church of the Brethren condemned torture as a “blatant violation of the tenets of our faith” at their annual meeting.
Delegates adopted a Resolution Against Torture, which described a biblical foundation for peace and a statement of confession for members who became “desensitized and complacent” to the use of torture, according to a church news release.
“This is an important step to take,” said Duane Ediger of Chicago’s First Church of the Brethren and a member of Christian Peacemaker Teams, denouncing the prisoner abuses at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison.
Leah Hileman, who presented the resolution, asked Brethren to not only look at overseas prisons but also to watch their television sets and become more aware of violent scenes in shows such as Fox’s 24 that put torture in a favorable light.
“That’s not who we are,” she said.
Delegates turned down amendments that would have added opposition to mental, emotional and sexual abuse; the resolution remained focused against all forms of violence.
With about 125,000 members across the world, the Church of the Brethren is one of the historic peace churches, along with Mennonites and Quakers, that embrace pacifism over war and violence.
“The question still is, ‘What would Jesus do?’ ” Hileman said. “The answer is that Jesus wouldn’t be in a room pushing a prisoner to his limit.”
Mission and Ministry Board member Andy Hamilton was called to the podium to speak as one of those who drafted the statement. The church has waited for close to 10 years to speak on the issue, since the events and aftermath of 9/11, he said. During the writing process, the board “came under the conviction of the Spirit of God that we had been silent,” he said.
Comments
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Does this include the torture of the innocent babies in the womb who have been determined to be sub-human and are killed? If not, when can we expect the Holy Spirit of God to address this to the COB?
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