The Washington Post reports (June 13, 2006), that twenty-seven religious leaders have signed a statement urging the United States to "abolish torture now - without exceptions."
The signers include megachurch pastor Rick Warren, Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington, the Rev. Ted Haggard (president of the National Association of Evangelicals), Archbishop Demetrios (primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America) and the Rev. William J. Byron (former president of Catholic University).
Titled "Torture is a Moral Issue," the statement says that torture "violates the basic dignity of the human person" and "contradicts our nation's most cherished values." "Nothing less is at stake in the torture abuse crisis than the soul of our nation. What does it signify if torture is condemned in word but allowed in deed?" it asks.
By suggesting that recent abuse of prisoners may not be just an aberration but a reflection of U.S. policy, the statement contains an implicit challenge to the Bush administration, according to some signers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/12/AR2006061201484.html
