One of the leaders of the American Family Association is using Jesus and the Bible to excuse torture. You have got to be kidding me.

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For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9: 6 (ESV)

I simply do not understand how some people who claim the mantle of Christianity can behave as if they simply have no true fear of the Lord. The Bible does say that in these last days things will go from bad to worse with those who deceive others as well as those who are deceived themselves. In writing a discernment ministry I have seen people use God and the Bible to defend the most ridiculous anti-biblical positions imaginable. I have seen Paula White claim that 1Chronicles 22:9 means that you should send her $229. We all have seen the church that literally handles snakes during service because they do not understand Mark 16:18. The Osteens preach that the Bible is all about you. Prince teaches that God is never unhappy with you. Warren teaches that if simply say that you love Jesus we do not have to worry about the rest of what you believe. Ronnie Floyd and Robert Morris teach that God will curse all of your money if you do not give them the first ten percent. John Hagee uses the Bible to tell atheists to leave his country and that the blood moons mean something that they do not. Bill Johnson teaches that God always wants to heal and that you can suck the residual anointing from the tombs of dead heretics. There is no end to the absolute lunacy that passes for organized Christianity these days in America. The Bible does warn however about the proliferation of false teachers in the end times so it should come as no shock. Yet every time I think I am beyond being shocked another person hiding behind Jesus steps up to the microphone to make a mockery of God and His Word. This week the role was played by Bryan Fischer:

http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/46482-is-war-time-torture-biblical-or-not

This link is to a new article on Charismanews.com. If it appeared on a political website as political opinion, I would just as soon leave it alone for the tripe that it is. The problem is that it appears on a Christian website. The problem is that Mr. Fischer is the Director of Issues Analysis for the American Family Association. The problem is that Mr. Fischer either does not understand the Bible or he does not care if he grossly misrepresents Jesus. He is a proponent of American Christianity over biblical Christianity. In this article, Bryan Fischer takes a serious stab at defending torture during a time of war by using Christ and the Bible. I could just say, "who would Jesus torture" and be done with it but it is important to see how people mishandle God's Word for their own ends. Mr. Fischer did not approach the Word to hear from the Lord. He approached it to prop up his pre-decided position that torturing people is a-ok with him. Let us go through his argument while correctly applying the verses he abused. First up is Exodus:

The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name. - Exodus 15: 3 (ESV)

Hallelujah - pass the ammunition! Except what is the context for this verse? First of all it comes from a song Moses and the Israelites sang immediately following the Lord delivering them at the Red Sea. This is a descriptive text, telling us a real song that was really sung that victorious day. It is not a prescriptive text teaching us some timeless truth about God. That said, we do know from the rest of Scripture that God is mighty. God is strong and victorious. When need be in the Old Testament, God also was successful in battle. To take this one verse and try to pretend that it definitively states that God is pro-war is ludicrous. Just as ludicrous as pointing to Ecclesiastes where it says there will be a time for war. This of course referring to the depravity of man, not an attribute of the Lord. In Fischer's defense, this was as close as he got to the truth. From here on he jumps off a theological cliff:

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. - Revelation 19: 11-13 (ESV)

Fischer uses these verses to state that we ought not think of Jesus as meek and mild because when He returns He will be dripping blood! It is staggering to see someone correctly state a verse as being prophetic and then use it to defend something that is happening today. Staggering in its ignorance. Yes, Revelation is filled with bloody imagery and judgment but these are future events. We are not meant to take them and create temporal doctrine out of them. Fischer then makes a statement without biblical backing by saying that the Bible delineates between just and unjust war. It most certainly does not. Yes, in the Old Testament, before the new covenant, God instructed Israel to wars. Short of such divine revelation today, this does not exist anymore. God did not visit our leaders ten years ago and tell them who to torture. I assure you He did not. Why? Because then He would violate His own Word:

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. - 2Peter 3: 9 (ESV)

This verse was not written just for America beloved. God loves everyone. He desires all to come to repentance. Even those that we hate the most. Not done with his bible twisting, Fischer would continue:

Jesus' command that we are to "turn the other cheek" was given to individuals, not to the state. In fact, the state has precisely the opposite responsibility in the face of evil: Its job is most decidedly not to turn the other cheek but to strike the cheek of the offender in punishment.

While this may sound righteous it is of course not biblical at all. God does not differentiate between the moral responsibilities of the individual versus the individuals that make up the state. There is also a baked in poor assumption here in this logic that accepts at face value that the state must somehow be naturally rooted in righteousness. The Bible makes no such allusion whatsoever. That exists entirely in Mr. Fischer's head. To him this country can do no wrong. It is always in the role of somehow doing God's will. Pillaging the Native Americans? Slavery? Civil War? Kids in sweatshops? Destroying other countries to steal their resources? All of that is somehow justified in the mind of someone whose first citizenship is clearly not in heaven. Mind you that was just the first 100 years of America. Is it still the greatest democratic experiment man has offered up in history? Absolutely, but that does not make it "Christian" or "righteous." When it comes to completely sinful and carnal nations, America is probably the best ever but that does not change the fact that it is inherently sinful and carnal. Fischer would continue:

That's what keeps our society from degenerating into the chaos of vigilante justice: we can choose not to take matters into our own hands, believing that God has promised to take vengeance on our behalf through the state and has delegated his authority to it for exactly that purpose (Rom. 12-13).

Dear Lord. Romans 12-13 does not teach that God has promised to take vengeance on our behalf through the state. This was Paul writing to the new church in Rome who had just been cast out of the city by Claudius. Not only does Fischer not understand the context of Romans 13 but he once again acts as if the Bible only applies to the United States. God's Word must apply universally or you are not interpreting it correctly. You cannot apply Romans 13 to Nazi Germany the way Fischer just applied it to the US. If the state is God's delegated authority there for vengeance on our behalf - how do you biblically explain North Korea? China? Stalinist Russia? The Bible does not work that way beloved. Now we approach the not so subtle sleight of hand employed by Bryan Fischer to excuse torture as Christian:

The Bible understands that things are permitted in a time of war that are not permitted in a time of peace. David was wroth with Joab because he killed Abner in a time of peace as retribution for Abner's killing Joab's younger brother in a time of war (1 Kings 2:5). Blood spilled in a time of war is different than blood spilled in a time of peace.

Whoa. Where do we start here? First of all, at best this proves that David was mad because Joab killed Abner during a time of peace. That does not mean that blood spilled during war is different but rather blood spilled during peace is different. Fischer takes the reality of what happened and flips it on its head. Either way however, none of this means that "things are permitted during war" that normally would not be. He just made that up. There is zero correlation established. Zero. Fischer continues down the rabbit hole he is digging:

Much criticism has been directed at our intelligence community in recent days over the issue of enhanced interrogation techniques, even though they are not life-threatening. The techniques used would make any ordinary human being squirm. In a time of peace they would be criminal acts. But when such techniques are used to protect innocent lives in a time of war, they are entirely justified.

This is a literary technique known as lying. First of all there were plenty of deaths as a result of the torture techniques employed and many of those who died were actually not guilty of anything other than being Middle Eastern. I want us all to take off our flag lapel pins for a minute and remember that we are first and foremost Christians. Our responsibility is to Christ and His Word. I want you to imagine standing before Jesus and explaining how you defended "rectal rehydration" or "rectal feeding." These are not "medical procedures" as has been reported but rather torture techniques that were used during the Spanish Inquisition and more recently by our country. They are used to bloat the intestines of the victim to cause excruciating pain. Others were made to stand on broken limbs. Death through hypothermia. All in the name of freedom but don't you dare try to say in the name of Jesus! Entirely justified? Are you serious? What God are you following? Who would Jesus rectal rehydrate? Really? It is disgusting that this has to be explained to someone who fancies himself a Christian. Yet his shamelessness was not done yet:

We know for a fact that every technique used was carefully reviewed by the Department of Justice and all were deemed to be permissible under American law. And we know that congressional leaders--including some who are today's loudest critics--were fully briefed on these methods and registered nary a complaint.

You mean the same American law that supports abortion? That law? This is the same Bryan Fischer that rails against abortion, which is also the law of the land. So why the hypocrisy? You cannot use the law as a convenient excuse if you readily admit that the law can be wrong as well. Remember the defense of the Nazis tried at Nuremberg was "following orders" and that was not allowed. For the record however, this excuse has nothing to do with the Bible either. Then again, nothing in this article does anyway.

No beloved, Bryan Fischer used the Bible to try and excuse the inexcusable. He would go on to use bloody examples from the Book of Judges of all things to finish his argument. Judges of course being one of the saddest times in the history of Israel where for 400 years the people continually did as they saw fit in their own eyes. Where every time God bailed them out they went right back to idolatry. Fischer gleefully tells the story of Jael driving a tent peg through a skull to actually try and make those who performed torture appear heroic. It would be comical if it were not so pathetic.

Yet people listen to Bryan Fischer within American Christianity and God help us for that. His brand of hatred is welcomed with open arms in churches across our country. I was not sure where to go for key verses today because there are simply so many. Blessed are the peacemakers. Those who live by the sword will die by it. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Live at peace with all. Let all know us by our love. All worthy Scriptures to remember but since it is Christmastime as well, I went to the Prophet Isaiah and his foretelling of the coming of Jesus Christ. To listen to Bryan Fischer it would read, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall conduct rendition in His name. And his name shall be called Wonderful Torturer, Mighty Tent Peg through the skull, Everlasting pain to all who oppose, Prince of War, covered in blood and holy advocate of rectal rehydration. That is not how the prophecy reads beloved. Not even close:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9: 6 (ESV)

He is a wonderful counselor and our Mighty God. Our Father everlasting and the Prince of Peace. Do you see that word Mr. Fischer? Peace. Because we were at war with God before the manger. We were headed for an eternity of torture that would make Gitmo seem like a Sandals Resort. But God sent His only Son; the Prince of Peace. He established peace once again between man and God. This inexpressible gift should fill our hearts with such joy that the thoughts of water-boarding and hypothermia should make us cringe; not feel elated. Unspeakable joy that should be able to see rectal rehydration for what it clearly is - torture. Not "enhanced interrogation." Good luck standing before Christ and explaining that. Maybe we can fool each other here on earth and convince ourselves that our sheer carnality is actually righteous and pious on some level but God will see right through us.

If we honestly think that Jesus Christ will understand and excuse torturing another human being as necessary or justified then we simply do not understand the Gospel and I fear we do not truly know the Prince of Peace.

Reverend Anthony Wade - December 17, 2014

Authors Bio:
Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.