Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Rev. Richard Killmer, 202-547-1920 or
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February 27, 2008
Religious Organizations Urge President Bush to Sign Anti-Torture Legislation
(Washington, DC)
In a letter sent today, ten religious organizations, representing a broad diversity of faiths, called on President Bush to sign the H.R. 2082, the Intelligence Authorization bill. The bill contains an important anti-torture provision that would ban the use of "harsh" interrogation techniques including waterboarding and other forms of cruel and inhuman treatment.
Asking the President to look to "the guidance of your faith as you make your decision," the letter stresses that a fundamental value "shared by Americans of all faiths, is a basic respect for human dignity." The letter goes on to say "waterboarding, stress positions, induced hypothermia and all other forms of torture violate the sanctity of beings that we believe have been created in the image of God. The use of torture threatens the values that make us who we are as a nation."
The letter states that "America is great not just because of our wealth and our power, but also because of our values." By signing H.R. 2082, the President "will be able to return our country to the paths of goodness and justice and to help restore America's greatness."
A copy of the letter, signed by the religious organizations, is pasted below.
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The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Bush:
As people of faith, we call upon you to sign H.R. 2082, the Intelligence Authorization Conference Report, which contains an anti-torture provision that would require all members of the U.S. intelligence community to abide by the restrictions laid out in the Army Field Manual on Human Intelligence Collector Operations while conducting interrogations.
We strongly believe that our country must remain true to its moral standards. America is great not just because of our wealth and our power, but also because of our values. While we have faced many threats over the course of our history as a nation, we did not abandon our values during times when our nation was small, weak, or threatened - and we should not abandon them today, when our nation is the most powerful on Earth.
One of our most fundamental values, shared by Americans of all faiths, is a basic respect for human dignity. Waterboarding, stress positions, induced hypothermia and all other forms of torture violate the sanctity of beings that we believe have been created in the image of God. The use of torture threatens the values that make us who we are as a nation.
The standards laid out in the Army Field Manual ban these immoral techniques. By signing H.R. 2082, you will be able to return our country to the paths of goodness and justice and to help restore America's greatness.
We hope that you will look to the guidance of your faith as you make your decision.
Sincerely,
National Religious Campaign Against Torture
United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Union for Reform Judaism
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Church of the Brethren Witness/Washington Office
Society of Jesus, New York Province
Evangelicals for Human Rights
Reconciliation Ministries, National Ministries, American Baptist Churches USA
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
