As we dive into the depths of Hell with Dante, is there any questions that torture is alright? Perhaps one might answer that “It is not torture, it is punishment,” or one might say that while it may be torture, it is just and good. Punishment or torture each person in Hell suffers one way or another. One man in Canto XXIII is stretched out across a pathway to be trampled on for eternity. The former Popes are burned forever crammed inside of wholes. These men are suffering no doubt. It may even be no coincidence that the Roman Catholic Church developed many torture machines over the Middle Ages, especially in the inquisitions against heresies. The Catholic church it was their duty to convert people to their religion by any means necessary and punish those who refused. Soon torture devices were even made to fit the crime such as a Heretic’s Fork that was shoved in both the chest and mouth of the convicted heretic.
Torture is still an issue that is debated today. One form of torturing that is in current question is water boarding. A man is tied down with leather straps to a long board. The board is tilted at about 60 degrees with the tormented’s head facing downward. The suspect is also blindfolded, and finally water is poured down his body creating a drowning sensation. With the recent closing of Guatanamo Bay by President Obama, this issue is as relevant as ever. Some may have the response that if they hear no evil, see no evil, know no evil as long as their country is kept safe. I do know that once you learn about these things you can never go back to darkness. The knowledge of torture just might torture you.
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