This Sunday at the Ethical Society I’ll be talking about the Ethics of Torture. I’ve seen those “Torture is Wrong” and “Torture Is a Moral Issue” banners on all sorts of congregations, and it does seem like a no-brainer for most religions that follow some version of the Golden Rule.

Humanism affirms the worth of the individual and promotes international human rights, and the version of the golden rule we use in Ethical Humanism is “Act so as to elicit the best in others and thereby in oneself.” Torture arguably brings out the worst in the torturer, and it seeks to deny the humanity of the victim. Our national lay and clergy organizations recently passed a statement that torture is unethical in any and all situations.

But I’ve also heard people argue that torture can be justified if it’s used in “ticking bomb” scenarios to save lives, and I wonder if any religions or denominations support this view. So let me know–does your religion take an absolute stand against torture? Or does it teach that torture is allowable in certain circumstances? Or has it addressed the issue at all? What do your values lead you to believe about torture?