NEW YORK--Christians have joined their voices with the others expressing outrage over Iraqi prisoner abuse. Haverford College religion professor Michael A. Sells told the New York Times that the violations have outraged not just Iraqis, but "everyone in the region, not just Muslims but Christians as well."

According to Christianity Today, the Vatican condemned the abuses in the harshest words.

The Sojourners evangelical organization has also called for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's resignation and an independent investigation. The group e-mailed supporters urging them to contact congress.

World magazine editor Marvin Olasky disagreed. He told Christianity Today there is not yet warrant to dismiss Rumsfeld.

"Rumsfeld is not responsible for the perverse acts of a few: Given man's sinfulness multiplied by wartime pressures, every war brings out evil conduct, and only now are digital cameras and Internet advances throwing instant light on dark corners," he said. "Rumsfeld should be fired if he tried to hinder the investigation, and should otherwise be encouraged to take whatever vigorous action is needed to guard against future incidents."

World publisher Joel Belz blames the scandal on what he termed "the coarsening of a culture that took place for a generation and more leading up to the unveiling of such wicked acts."

Fuller Seminary president Richard Mouw responded to the abuse in a Beliefnet article, calling the problem one of human depravity and called for repentance from Americans and public dialogue.

Campus Crusade for Christ's Vonette Bright also called for national repentance and for troops to publicly confess, apologize and ask for forgiveness.

Prison Fellowship founder Charles Colson responded similarly in his radio broadcast, but also said, "Our armed forces have always been distinguished by a sense of decency and caring," he says. "There is a streak of decency in Americans. The reason is historic, rooted in the worldview of the founders of this country."

Gary Bauer, president of American Values, agreed that the U.S. should "correct prison abuses" but he also called the recent release of the pictures a "media and political frenzy."

In a recent FaithfulAmerica.org letter the National Council of Churches acknowledged that the story of abuses in Iraq will continue and called for a special prosecutor to investigate the torture.

"But these horrible, disturbing pictures are only the beginning," the letter states. "We now know there are hundreds more pictures and video; of rape, severe beatings, a smiling soldier posing next to a dead prisoner. …

"Even worse, these were not "bad apple" cases. Since 9/11, the US has created an archipelago of torture and illegal detention across the world." The letter cites reports from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Red Cross, and others.