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"The Report (which is available for streaming through Amazon) dramatizes the brutality of the 2002-2007 CIA torture program, as well as the political battle to make the failures of that program public," writes the Rev. Dr. Eileen Altman, a longtime member of MVPJ's steering committee and local pastor. "Watching The Report is not easy, but it is nonetheless important viewing. Each of us must take seriously our obligation as citizens to take responsibility for the actions of our nation. All of us must push our leaders toward policies and practices which reflect the highest moral and ethical standards of our faith traditions, so that we might become a more perfect union." Written and directed by Scott Z. Burns. Click here read Altman's full and powerful Opinion piece in Unbound: an interactive journal on Christian social justice. Multifaith Voices for Peace & Justice hosted a viewing of this film followed by discussion David Gushee, Professor of Christian Ethics, Professor of Moral Philosophy, former president of the American Academy of Religion and of the Society of Christian Ethics, has written an article about the film, "Why a film about torture was oddly inspiring for this Christian ethicist." Gushee concludes, "In the end, though, the response of American citizens – especially those who are persons of faith – should be not only to demand access to all the facts but also to declare a clear and complete moral repudiation of torture. … Torture is a desecration of the human being whom God loves.” (Click here to read full article.) Rev. Ron Stief, executive director of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, an organization with whom MVPJ has worked for many years, wrote this interesting Op-Ed in USA Today. The New Yorker ran a review of "The Report" combined with one on "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood," making for an interesting article appropriately entitled, "Our Country -- Right and Wrong," by Anthony Lane. |