Anti-biblical Southern Baptists

Once again the SBC leadership has shown itself to be in opposition to biblical teaching. EthicsDaily reports that

Daniel Heimbach, professor of Christian ethics at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, last week in Baptist Press termed an NAE-ndorsed anti-torture statement "a moral travesty managing not only to confuse but to harm genuine evangelical witness in the culture." . . . Heimbach has long argued against an outright ban on torture, saying the United States should instead base interrogation of prisoners on "just war" principles guiding use of force in military conflict.

Now, the Bible I read says

Never pay back evil for evil. Let your aims be such as all men count honourable. If possible, so far as it lies with you, live at peace with all men. My dear friends, do not seek revenge, but leave a place for divine retribution; for there is a text which reads, 'Justice is mine, says the Lord, I will repay.' But there is another text: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; by doing this you will heap live coals on his head.; Do not let evil conquer you, but use good to defeat evil.
-- Romans 12:17-21 NEB

I notice that the passage begins with the word 'never.' No exception for interrogations. It says "If your enemy is hungry, feed him." It does not say, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him unless he is being deprived of food as part of an interrogation process."

Finally, the passage says, "Do not let evil conquer you, but use good to defeat evil." When we return evil for evil, we have been defeated by the evil we are trying to oppose. We have become evil ourselves.

When one supports torture or "aggressive interrogation," one denies the authority of Holy Scripture. How ironic that those who seized power in the Southern Baptist Convention under the guise of defending the authority of the Bible should so blatently act and teach in opposition to it.