Torture -- A Moral Issue: Part 1

I had mentioned some time back that I will share with all of you some of the issues that I would like to create more of an awareness about. Here is part of a guide that I am sharing with the rest of our parish.

TORTURE IS A MORAL ISSUE: A CATHOLIC GUIDE

In early 2008 a discussion guide on torture was developed as a collaboration between the Catholic members of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture and the Office of International Justice and Peace of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. In the coming weeks, we will be featuring portions of this guide to develop an understanding of the following: 1) Dignity of every human person; 2) Torture; 3) Jesus’ Gospel instruction on loving our enemies; and 4) Promoting a discussion of actions that individuals, families, small groups and others might take to address the issue of torture.

RECOGNIZING EVERY PERSON’S GOD-GIVEN DIGNITY

Catholic social teaching holds that all people bear a God-given dignity. This conviction makes demands upon us: calls us to action, calls us to respect each person.

It is possible at once to feel personally affirmed by this teaching and disturbed by its most far-reaching demands, especially the demand to recognize human dignity in what may appear to us as difficult cases.

So this teaching leads somewhere: It leads to respect for ourselves and all others, and to action on behalf of justice. It leads to recognizing the face of Jesus in others.

This teaching also may prompt us to take a second look at widely accepted ways our society treats people – to assess whether some ways of treating people reflect respect for human dignity, or whether, in fact, they constitute abuses of human dignity.

Society itself frequently is divided when it comes to judging whether or not an action constitutes an abuse of human dignity. Thus, debates over particular issues get played out in the pages of our daily newspapers and on TV. For example, since 1973, there has been an intense debate over abortion, in which the Church calls for respect for human life from the moment of conception. There are ongoing debates over racism: when it is operative in school systems and when it is not, or how it influence voting choices. Currently, there is an ongoing debate in society over abortion and human embryonic stem-cell research, which the Church regards as a failure to recognize the unborn child’s humanity and dignity.

And, of course, there is debate over torture: whether certain practices commonly regarded as torture are legally or morally acceptable in the treatment and interrogation of prisoners accused of terrorist acts.

Torture is an issue in the news of our day, an issue that Catholic social teaching prompts us to examine. The issue of torture will be explored in detail in this discussion guide. At this point, however, we might conclude this discussion of human dignity by posing these questions:

What is at risk when respect does not characterize the relationships of individuals, of cultural and religious groups, or of nations?

Is it possible to condone practices of torture while at the same time affirming every person’s God-given human dignity? Why or why not?

Concluding Prayer

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

you have given the world its true light,

Jesus, your Son – the Son of God.

You abandoned yourself completely

to God’s call

and thus became a wellspring

of the goodness that flows forth from him.

Show us Jesus. Lead us to him.

Teach us to know and love him,

so that we too can become

capable of true love

and be fountains of living water

in the midst of a thirsting world.

(From “Deus Caritas Est,” Pope Benedict XVI’s first encyclical)

Compassion and Action

I still have not been able to transfer my pictures and I haven't been able to completely settle back to life in Corvallis.  Once I've had time to just sit back, write down all my thoughts about my trip to Peru, and upload all my pictures you will all get to read about my most incredible trip.  As for now...  I still have to unpack my luggage and my thoughts.

I have been reflecting on something someone in my Bible study group mentioned last week.  We were talking about being called to holiness and what it means to be a Christian.  She just said straight out, "It's so hard to be Christian.  I know I'm supposed to give money to help the poor, but I don't know if I'm supposed to give all or just a small portion.  I mean, I worked hard for that money."  The first part of her statement I agree with -- it is hard to be a Christian.  It takes work and it often means being different from the expectations that society has laid before us.  The rest of her statement just makes me so sad.

According to the book Compassion by Henri Nouwen, Donald McNeill, and Douglas Morrison, being compassionate "is not a bending toward the underprivileged from a privileged position; it is not a reaching out from on high to those who are less fortunate below; it is not a gesture of sympathy or pity for those who fail to make it in the upward pull.  On the contrary, compassion means going directly to those people and places where suffering is most acute and building a home there."  Being a Christian is more than the thought that counts -- it's being able to look everyone in the eye and being a true brother and sister to each one we meet.  It's being able to take action towards fulfilling our task of easing the suffering of all those in need.  

Living out our Christian lives will sometimes mean being drawn out of your comfort zones.  There are those who live as missionaries in poor communities throughout the world.  They are in full community with those that they minister to.  I have friends in Argentina who work with the youth and women to feed them spiritually and help them break from the bondage of their struggles.  My friends send updates periodically and these always make me cry because of how happy they are with their work and how they are able to touch the lives of those they encounter.  Todd is in Peru with two other lay missionaries.  Todd works with the youth in his parish.  I am inspired by how he is teaching them and providing them with opportunities that empower the youth to take leadership roles.  Through these roles they are able to lead and gather other youth towards working together in the parish with the hopes of making life in their community stronger and working together towards overcoming their struggles.  Todd's housemates are nurses that work at the hospice (in which Todd volunteers as well) and they reach out to those who are terminally ill.  They provide medical services to people who are unable to afford the care that they need.  Todd visits different homes with the pastoral worker and they provide companionship and prayer for those dying and their families.  This is just a very small sample of what missionaries do around the world.   It is hard, but I'm sure if you talk to each one of them you'll learn of the happiness and fulfillment it brings to their lives.  They don't work from on high -- they are right there in community with the people they serve.

One doesn't have to go very far, though, to be with those in need.  In Corvallis alone, we have several organizations and groups that one can be involved in to live out our call.  There's Stone Soup -- they serve free, hot meals for those who are in need of nourishment.  There's the Daytime Drop In Center where the homeless can stay during the day for a safe, structured day.  At the start of the winter, there's the Men's Winter Shelter where homeless men can spend the night in a warm shelter.  There are services throughout town that provide for emergency financial assistance.  There are organizations that assist with mental health issues, providing for families that have children to ensure that the children stay in school, food banks that provide food boxes, groups that provide clothing for school, and much more.

Let's also keep in mind that being poor doesn't just mean being financially poor.  It also means being in need of a service or support that a person may not be able to provide for themselves.  There's the Jackson Street Youth Shelter in Corvallis that provides shelter for youth who are in need of a safe place to stay.  The youth stay here for a variety of reasons; sometimes it's to get away from unsafe relationships with parents or guardians, sometimes it's just to take a break from parents when they don't see eye-to-eye.  For women who are pregnant or think they may be, there's the Options Pregnancy Resource Center.  Women can seek services such as counseling, pregnancy tests, parenting classes, etc at Options.  Women who are not sure of their next step when they have unwanted or unexpected pregnancies can turn to Options and their counselors will guide them through with the hopes that they opt to carry out their pregnancy.  For those that have been abused, there's the Corvallis Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence (CARDV).  They help women in abusive relationships to get away from the situation and pick up their lives.  

On a personal note on that one...  I often wondered to myself why I am not more involved with CARDV considering that I came from a physically and verbally abusive relationship.  I realize how fortunate I am that I have a supportive family that helped me through this tough situation. Without their help I know that I would either still be in this abusive relationship, out in the streets (or at least with relatives if I were still in the Philippines), or, to be truly honest about these situations, dead.  Part of me still wonders if I have fully overcome the effects of having been in this relationship.  I noticed not too long ago that there are certain movements that people make at close proximity to me that make me flinch still.  I know that it has affected my relationships with other men (I am sure Todd can attest to this one:) ).  It has just hit me (inside my head -- not physically :) )that one way of overcoming some of the anxieties and fears that still exist would be to be involved with this organization.  

Yes, I tend to go off the topic.  Going back to what I was writing about...  I'm sure that no matter what city or country you live in you will find organizations and services that you can get involved with.  Tending to the poor is more than just handing out money from our comfortable homes.  Living out our faith means being in community and in humble service to those around us.  Everyone I've spoken to who works hard towards being obedient to this call will tell you that it's hard, but they will also follow it up with how happy they are with what they are doing.  Two people that Todd and I stayed with who are both missionaries themselves called themselves crazy because of the life that they have chosen for themselves, but they said it with smiles and are happy for this choice.  Being compassionate and taking action means being different -- what's wrong with that?

Realities...

Well, I'm back from Peru and have tons to share about my trip. It was a very full and amazing trip. Unfortunately, getting pictures posted hasn't been quite so easy because of some technical difficulties. I will sit down later on and write about my trip when I have pictures to go along with it.

For now I am back at St. Mary's and trying to get work done -- not an easy task for now! I've been teaching my 2nd graders for Vacation Bible School in the mornings and then trying to fit in whatever work I can in the afternoons.

I ask permission to go off topic a bit... I love my 2nd graders! What surprised me the most was that some of them were my preschoolers during my first year with St. Mary's Preschool. It's hard to believe that they will soon be preparing for First Communion. More and more I am tempted to say that I would like to teach that class, but I'm trying to be realistic about my schedule. I already have some Sundays committed for my work activities -- I don't know how much Vincent and my parents would appreciate my being gone every Sunday. I suppose one reality here is that I'm getting older! My preschoolers are now reading and know all sorts of bigger words (and being able to use them, too!). I love being able to get my hugs from them again. I never realized how much I missed this part of being with kids. I have the biggest class of all -- 17 kids, but they are just great. This age still listens when they are told to listen, yet are capable of really great conversations already as well. I initially felt suckered into teaching this class, but now I am so thankful that this was sent my way at this time.

Going back to my real job... I have encountered once again my usual cast of characters and they've been keeping me grounded. I volunteer at our Daytime Drop In Center for the homeless. I help as much as I can in setting up breakfast and then pretty much be there to talk with the people. There are two people in the center that I particularly enjoying talking to. Jeniffer is the Executive Director of the Center. She has a 10-year old son as well. She has also self-diagnosed herself as having Aspergers. She said that she has to force herself to look people in the eyes when she talks with them. She learned from her mom and sister (who are diagnosed with Aspergers) that this is a trait, so she does her best to overcome this. She also told me that she used to be violent (something that is quite common with people who have not learned to control their anxieties), so this has led to a tougher life for her. You see, Jeniffer herself is homeless. I admire her because of her knowledge of the people that she works with and her dedication to doing this job even if it is as a volunteer. She tells me that most of the time she just longs to get behind her handheld videogame, but she fights that because she knows this is a common trait of people with Aspergers and that she needs to interact with people. She lives in a tent in a field in the outskirts of Corvallis where a lot of the homeless people with tents live. She shares her tent with her boyfriend, Wayne, and their dog that they saved from an abusive situation. Her son lives with his father and she sees him on the weekends. I assume she is unable to hold a job because of her disability. She told me that she has tried so hard, but she just can't conform to the workplace.

Then there's Dale. He's the Macgyver (spelling?) of the center. He has anything and everything in his backpack and in his pockets. He is so smart. He can tell you anything about everything (which, of course, leads to unusually lengthy conversations). He is generous with what he has to offer (like wrench-shaped sugar free mints that he likes because he's diabetic). When he knows you need help with something, he jumps to help. Dale was in the Vietnam war. He definitely has mental issues, but I'm not quite sure what it is. He is very good friends with another gentleman, Loran, whom I've met because of the assistance we've given to him at the church. He is also a vet. They would get along well because they are very similar in their mannerism. Loran is a big guy who is diabetic also and has a wound that hasn't healed in over a year. He came to me asking for help because his tent and other personal belongings (including his Bible he says) were stolen. He is this tall, heavy-built man, that can be quite snippy and sarcastic. Yet he is not afraid to give hugs and was close to tears when he was given more than what he had expected. These gentlemen, I assume, are in the state that they are in because of their duty to fight for their country. So why are they are out in the streets? I highly doubt that if they were in a better state of mind (or if they were getting the proper mental health assistance that they need) they would choose to be homeless. There are those that feel that this is a choice that they make. When you talk to these men and women who call the fields and streets home, listen to their streams of thoughts, and find out what they've gone through, I don't agree that this was a conscious choice.

There are others I've met who are not homeless, but barely meeting their basic needs. I've written about Laura whose son was being detained in immigration. He was deported to Mexico. This is a man in his 20s who grew up in the United States. He came to Corvallis when he was 5 years old. He was his mother's sole financial supporter because she has been too ill to work. Laura has diabetes and is blind in one eye. She now has no one to support her and is looking for any kind of work she can get. Yet Laura has managed to find ways to smile, keep me updated on her status, and tells me funny stories about her son. It kills me that I am unable to pay for her utilities or her rent because she was already given assistance a few months ago. Now I have to send her to all sorts of other places, but even those places will not be able to help any longer in a month or two. Laura is quite the fighter and I think she will find a way. Her son is now working in Mexico and is paid quite well considering Mexico's low wages. His being able to speak English and Spanish with fluency will be helpful for him, but will not be enough to provide the support that his mother needs. With her medication alone, she spends well over $400 a month. Watching her take these small steps towards survival is quite inspiring, but heartbreaking as well.

I sometimes feel overwhelmed with the hardships of people all over the world. I also manage to make myself feel even more overwhelmed when I throw my own woes into the pot. I know that my problems don't come anywhere near what Jeniffer, Dale, Loran and Laura have to go through. This does remind me that we each have our own realities that we deal with as best we can and they are hardships nonetheless. Actually, it was Todd who reminded me of this. I know I mope, cry and get cranky when I feel my life is tough. Seeing these people laugh and share, though, teaches me that I, too, can laugh and share. Realities will follow us wherever we go, but we have to just keep going and laugh and share along the way.