Open Letter To Berry Bussey

Barry Bussey
Director of Legislative Affairs
Seventh-day Adventist Church

Dear Mr. Bussey,

I had hoped to also send you this letter personally, but was unable to find your contact details. So now I trust the serendipitous mechanisms of the internet will deliver this communique.

First, I wish to commend you on your recent post at The Liberty Blog where you correctly identify waterboarding as torture. Like you, I see prophetic implications in the fact that my nation's highest elected and appointed officials approved these kinds of information gathering methods.

Second, I wish to inform you of an opportunity to walk the talk. On June 11, 2009 the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) is sponsoring an event in front of the White House during which leaders of national faith groups will ask President Obama to support a formal inquiry into how the U. S. government came to practice torture. While President Obama seems to be backing away from torture, an inquiry will help America put safeguards in place for when a 'Pharaoh who does not know Joseph' comes on the scene. As my church's representative on Capitol Hill, I request that you, along with as many other top-tier Adventist Church leaders as you can muster, be present to support this event.

"Torture is a moral issue"--this is the slogan of NRCAT. I believe that Adventists should join with them in asserting more specifically, Torture is a religious liberty issue. It has been well documented that U.S. officials went out of their way to offend the religious sensabilities of detainees (for example, Qu'ran desecration). This blatant disregard of religious conviction should not pass without response from the Adventist Church, and I believe calling for a full inquiery be the most redemptive of the available options.

Blessings to you in your unique ministry. I hope you enjoy your stay in my country as much as I have enjoyed yours.

Sincerely,

David Hamstra