June is "Torture Awareness Month." Thanks to Real Time with Bill Maher, this clip from the most recent presidential debate reveals a reason why we might need a whole month to reflect on this in America.

There's a lot of torture in the air. Early on America was crafted on the principle of religious freedom in an historical moment when Catholics and varieties of Protestantism were employing terrorism and torture to defend their communities. (See Guy Fawkes, the Separatists, the Puritans, Bloody Mary, Fox's book of Martyrs and the Spanish Inquisition.) Just as these religious groups learned to find alternative methods of will-to-power through dialogue and religious tolerance, so too will the fearful in our day; but only if we refrain from inflaming fears and "enhancing" our interrogation techniques.

The National Campaign Against Torture stands as a witness for true security and sustainable nonviolence.

"In a nation-wide project called "Spotlight on Torture," the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) has arranged for DVD copies of "Ghosts of Abu Ghraib" to be available to 1,000 congregations, on a first come, first served basis – 50 during the week of June 10-17 and 950 during the week of October 21-28. Within those two weeks, congregations can choose the date and time they wish to schedule a screening and discussion."

"Ghosts of Abu Ghraib," an 80-minute HBO film, features the familiar and very disturbing pictures of torture at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison and raises many questions: How did torture become an accepted practice at Abu Ghraib? Did U.S. government policies make it possible? How much damage has the aftermath of Abu Ghraib had on America's credibility as a defender of freedom and human rights around the world? Acclaimed filmmaker Rory Kennedy looks beyond the headlines to investigate the psychological and political context in which torture occurred."

The Christian Century "Theolog" notes:

News services carried stories in early May about a Pentagon study that found many of the U.S. Marines and soldiers in Iraq would support torture in attempts to get strategic information and would not report on a comrade for killing or wounding civilians. General David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, reminded service members that keeping high moral values “distinguishes us from our enemy” and is vital to winning support among Iraqis.

The study showed increasing mental health problems for troops on extended or multiple deployments. More than one-third of soldiers and marines believed that torture should be allowed to get information about insurgents or if it might save U.S. lives. Only 40 percent of U.S. Marines and 55 percent of soldiers said they would report a comrade for killing or injuring an innocent Iraqi.

In addition, "NRCAT is joining the American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International, and the Leadership Council on Civil Rights to sponsor a rally and lobby-day called, "Day of Action to Restore Law and Justice," in Washington, DC, on June 26, 2007. The goal of the event is to end torture and secret prisons, to restore due process and fairness to our treatment of detainees, and to reform the abuses of the Military Commissions Act by enacting the Restoring the Constitution Act."

Learn more here.