Whom Would God Say To Torture?

Another layer of religious consideration has been added to the debate on torture. The folks at Pew released the results of a poll taken during mid-April looking at people's opinions on the appropriateness of torture and linking those opinions with religious affiliation and church attendance. You notice, I am sure, that those who go to church more frequently and those who identify themselves as evangelicals are more likely to say torture can be justified.

I am not an expert on interrogation. Many of the experts I have read, though, say that torture is not an effective way to gain credible information - despite how it is shown on TV and in movies. The one being tortured talks; it is just that the tortured tend to say anything to make it stop, not necessarily the truth.

When I saw this Pew report, I wondered about the reasons used by these folks to back up their opinion. Why did 49% of the general population and 62% of the white evangelical Protestants and 54% of those who attend church at least weekly say torture can be justified? Why did 55% of those who are unaffiliated and 53% of those who rarely attend services say torture most likely cannot be justified?

What do you think - either about the use of torture or about the response of the religious folks to it?