Christians and Torture (again)

http://www.abpnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4052&Itemid=9

I have written before that I cannot believe that support for torture is greater among Christians than it is among those who are not active in church or who do not go at all. David Gushee's prayer is a masterful call to consider the contradiction between our faith and support for torture.

Dr. Gushee's prayer is incredible. I hope that you will take the time to read it, and, if you dare, to pray it. I appreciate what he said about torture, the corralation of support for torture and church attendance. It is interesting how through the history of the church, Christians have supported forms of torture and cruel punishment for their/our opponents.

However, the most important thing that Dr. Gushee noted is that we should not worry about churches being empty in the future. They already are. Our faith as a whole is empty. We do not have the Spritual or Moral Vision that a follower of Jesus Christ must possess in order to see injustices purported in the world. Our faith lacks consistency and substance.

I tend to be overly critical of the church, after being raised in Alabama and seeing first hand the effects of racism and hearing stories of how "Bible believers" responded, or failed to respond. I realize that when I point fingers, I have three pointing back. I merely want to ask, "Are you reading the same book that I read? Are you hearing the same Word that I am hearing? Are you praying to the same God that I pray to?

However, what are we missing that spurred on the disciples in the book of Acts? What are we missing that empowered the martyrs of the early church? What are we missing that fueled the writings of early church fathers like Augustine? What are we missing that motivated the Radical Reformers to abandon state supported religious institutions and reject their baptism, at the cost of their lives?

What are we missing that fuels the fire of Christians in Africa, Asia and South America?
Too me, we can no longer say that this empty religion is a symptom of "liberalism" or "fundamentalism." It is not something characteristic of only conservatives or moderates. It is not something symptomatic of denominations.

It is across the board. We are inconsistent in our applications of faith to real life. We are comfortable. We fail to think for ourselves. When we do, we are afraid to stand up for things that really matter. Furthermore, do we really believe it when Jesus says that for those who want to follow him, there will be a cross waiting for us, too?