Although Hollywood is routinely condemned by conservatives as a hotbed of liberal elitists, in fact it perpetuates the American myth that violence is the way to overcome evil.

We grew up on cowboys and Indians, war movies and espionage thrillers that showcased the good guys beating up and killing the bad guys. And if the heroine is in danger, then the end justifies the means, any means. We all booed when the criminal tortured by Dirty Harry was released back into society by the court. We cheered when Harry blew him away. Don’t get mad, just get even.

The American faith in the efficacious use of violence led us astray first in Vietnam and now in Iraq. And when you are fighting an evil such as Communism or terrorism, the argument goes, any means is legitimate.

There are numerous reasons why torture is wrong.

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Jesus taught Christians to forgive, but it is not easy to do.

On the cross, Jesus prayed, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” He also told us many parables about forgiveness, especially the one about the servant who was forgiven a debt and then refused to forgive his debtor. In the Lord’s Prayer, he also has us pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Forgiveness is an essential part of Christ’s message. I wish it were easy, but it is not. Since I have some Irish blood, I can repeat the joke about Irish Alzheimer’s, where the person forgets everything but his or her grudges, but any ethic group can be inserted in this joke.

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