Richard Land As Heir to Torquemada

Richard Land, already notorious for justifying President Bush's pre-emptive war with Iraq, contends that a recent Supreme Court ruling "harms the President's ability to protect U.S." The court ruled that the Geneva Conventions apply to all U.S. detainees -- even those suspected of terrorism.

The Bush administration set aside Geneva Conventions in order to use techniques amounting to torture to extract information from persons either known or suspected of being involved with terrorists.

During the takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention, Land, like Tomas de Torquemada in an earlier day, was involved in many an inquisition to root heretics out of his church. He didn't burn them at the stake like Torquemada, but he certainly led efforts to turn moderate denominational leaders and missionaries out on the streets. Now we find that Land doesn't appear to be adverse using some of Torquemada's more extreme techniques if his victims have a different faith and are either known to have been or are suspected of being in contact with persons who threaten his country.

The more things change, the more they remain the same.

Fortunately, other Christians and other Baptists have not lost their ethics. Associated Baptist Press has posted a story about "Ethicists weigh in on court decision to protect Guantanamo detainees." Here's a quote from David Gushee, a Baptist ethicist in Tennessee:

In contrast to Land's view, Gushee said the rebuff actually helps national security. For example, he said, for every terrorist detained through excessive, "over-reactive" measures after Sept. 11, there were probably five more terrorists created who "hate us with a passion that we can hardly imagine."

"[The Hamdan decision] helps our national security because it returns the U.S. to the rule of law in this area," Gushee said. "It has the potential to normalize our conduct?and maybe restore our stature in the world."