Dear Jasper John,

In view of your desire to reimpose the “Spanish Inquisition” in order to end the Catholic Church’s problems with pedophilia and other sexual misbehavior I have to ask you which methods of torture you would prefer to be employed. Torture constituted the backbone of the Inquisition and there can be no Inquisitions without it. One would employ either new high tech torture or use the old proven techniques.

The tools of torture used in the Spanish Inquisition are described below: ( from Wikipedia)

“Although the Inquisition was technically forbidden from permanently harming or drawing blood, this still allowed for methods of torture. The methods most used were garrucha, toca and the potro. The application of the garrucha, also known as the strappado, consisted of suspending the victim from the ceiling by the wrists, which are tied behind the back. Sometimes weights were tied to the ankles, with a series of lifts and drops, during which the arms and legs suffered violent pulls and were sometimes dislocated.[60] The toca, also called interrogatorio mejorado del agua, consisted of introducing a cloth into the mouth of the victim, and forcing them to ingest water spilled from a jar so that they had the impression of drowning (see: waterboarding).[61] The potro, the rack, was the instrument of torture used most frequently.[62]

The assertion that “confessionem esse veram, non factam vi tormentorum” (literally: ((a person’s)) confession is truth, not made by way of torture.) sometimes follows a description of how, after torture had ended, the subject freely confessed to the offenses.[63] Thus, all confession acquired by means of torture were considered completely valid as they were supposedly made of the confessor’s own free will.

Once the process concluded, the inquisidores met with a representative of the bishop and with the consultores, experts in theology or Canon Law, which was called the consulta de fe. The case was voted and sentence pronounced, which had to be unanimous. In case of discrepancies, the Suprema had to be informed.”

I find it difficult to believe that a true “libertarian” would give so much power to authorities but have no doubt that you can justify torture in the name of orthodoxy.

I also note that the Catholic Bishops agree with me far more than they agree with your re economic justice, taxation, health care and other policies.

I am sorry to see the Church undermine its moral authority in these areas by covering up past sexual scandals.

Sincerely yours,
Donald M Stebbins
BS 1961

[JR: Of course, leave it to Jasper Stebbins to take hyperbole to make a point to extremes. Guess they skipped that in some MC class or other. One doesn't have to wonder how the Inquisition Gooferment bureaucrats got so far off course with mindsets like that. If the Church Leadership were "interested" in the problem that is robbing them of their political and moral authority, I'm sure they could figure out a mechanism to root it out and prevent it's return. As a little L libertarian, I don't "give" anyone anything. Certainly not the ability to initiate force. Ostracism is the preferred method of discipline. You've heard of ZAP. As far as policy agreements, the Bishops have fallen under the spell of the "Social Justice" from the "Secular Progressive" Communists. Economics teaches us that there is NO free lunch. And, certainly, Gooferment is just about the worst way to dispense "charity". And, they also fall into the error of the "economic pie" is a fixed size; arguing that the poor "deserve" a bigger slice. The poor "deserve" nothing. They, as well as any human being, have a RIGHT to a fair shot. Nothing more; nothing less. They should, like every person, be entitled to KEEP all that they earn. They, like every person, shouldn't be paying all the hidden taxes -- inflation, corporate taxes, energy taxes, regulatory taxes, and the tax of punitive diktats like "minimum wage". Some of us feel a moral obligation to help "The Poor". That can't be done by force. At the root "true charity" is the freedom to choose to do it. I'm glad we agree that the Church has undermined its authority. Wish we could agree on more, but that's a start. Donna Nobis Pacem.]

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