Dozens of Utah religious leaders joined their national counterparts Wednesday in petitioning against torturing prisoners taken in the war on terror.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was not a part of the collective call but issued its own statement Wednesday when asked for comment. The church "condemns inhumane treatment of any person under any circumstances," said church spokesman Dale Bills. "The church has not taken a position on any proposed legislative or administrative actions regarding torture."

By contrast, a Utah interfaith statement calls on Congress and President Bush to "rule out 'any and all use of torture' of war prisoners as an option for the U.S. government or its agents." It affirmed a similar statement issued Nov. 9 by the National Council of Churches stating, "Torture turns its face against the biblical truth that all humans are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27). It denies the preciousness of human life and the dignity of every human being by reducing its victims to the status of despised objects, no matter how noble the cause for which it is employed."

Local leaders said they will urge members of their faith communities to contact their congressmen, "advocating passage of the 2006 Defense Appropriations bill with the 'anti-torture provisions' from the Senate's bill be included.

"We believe that all of our faith traditions can uphold the same intent to 'love our neighbors as ourselves,' a common thread found in nearly every world religion," the statement said. It included signatures from 41 religious leaders representing 14 different faith groups, including Episcopalians, Catholics, Muslims, Baptists, Presbyterians, Disciples of Christ, Unitarians, the United Church of Christ, the Church of Religious Science, Quakers, Disciples of Christ, Seventh Day Adventists and Utah Pagan Clergy.

The Rev. Dan Webster, spokesman for the Episcopal Diocese of Utah and one of the signatories, said when the National Council of Churches sent out its news release regarding torture, it piqued some interest within the diocese. "I showed it to Bishop (Carolyn Tanner) Irish and said maybe we should send it around and see if there are those who agree. We did that, and you have it now."

The petition was sent to local members of the Interfaith Roundtable, including the Public Affairs office of the LDS Church, Webster said. Though it involves a national and international issue, rather than something specifically local, Webster said "many faith traditions are concerned about the inhumanity of torture in how it relates to us as a country, but also how it relates to us as human beings."

After the petition was circulated, Webster was contacted by a representative from Utah Pagan Clergy, who said the "the scriptural references in the statement are not as important to her organization as the fact that pagans are opposed to torture."