Spencer Ackerman reports over at TPMMuckraker that senators Dodd and Menendez are going to introduce a bill that would ban torture and restore Habeas Corpus to detainees at Gitmo. That’s a hopeful sign; the approval of the detainee trial bill last September will be a black eye on America’s moral standing for decades, if not longer, and the removal of its sanctioning of torture and the abandonment of basic constitutional protections for those under our care can’t happen soon enough. For backstory, here is some of my posting about it then (in roughly reverse order): here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

I thank Andrew Sullivan in particular for his reporting on the issue. I think we share some of the sensibilities about how torture is incompatible both with America’s best ideals and with Christian ethics, and I agree with his concern about what our use of torture has done for our international image.

His most recent post on the subject is fascinating: taking a look at the approbation of torture on popular television programs like 24 and how it impacts thinking on torture. I’d suggest reading it all.

…Kevin Drum of the Washington Monthly also has a post up that reflects on Jane Mayer’s New Yorker piece on this subject and a LA Times entertainment article on ’24′. Money quote:

Pre-9/11: torture is used by bad guys.  That’s one of the ways you know they’re bad guys.

And today? Actually, nothing’s changed. It’s still how you know who the bad guys are. We just seem to have temporarily forgotten that.

Watching a wonderful PBS series “The New Medicine” on the scientific evidence behind the benefit of meditation (and prayer) on stress and therefore health and medicine.

Now, I think this series is a bit strong in calling this “new.” I remember reading and discussing studies about these things during my CPE rotation. But its good to see some of this gaining ground.

I admit, I wish the Presbyterians had the cajones (and the theological commitment behind it) to do what the United Church of Christ is doing in their God is Still Speaking campaign.

A new ad is out April 3. Check it out early, and learn why CBS, ABC and other stations consider a message of tolerance “too controversial” at http://www.accessibleairwaves.org/viewnew/. More at Media Matters for America.

The religious center and left need to stand up and stop ceding ‘religious discourse’ to the right. It saddens me that ABC will allow a Focus on the Family ad on its airways but not the UCC blurb, but its not new. I don’t see how one is more or less controversial than the other.

Maybe someone will find a way to get it on youtube and I’ll post it here.