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Re: written and signed by over 200 U.S. theologians
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J. Douglas Archer
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Oct 21, 2004 11:26 PDT
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Dave,
Could you give us a cite which will identify who the "over 200 U. S.
theologians" are? Being an academic, I'm always interested in knowing who
said what when. Thank very much for posting the statement.
Doug
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arch-@nd.edu
Mt. Pleasant COB
Northern Indiana District
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At 03:36 PM 10/20/2004, you wrote:
| | How Long Oh Lord?
Confessing Christ in a World of Violence
Our world is wracked with violence and war. But Jesus said: "Blessed are
the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God" (Matt.
5:9). Innocent people, at home and abroad, are increasingly threatened by
terrorist attacks. But Jesus said: "Love your enemies, pray for those who
persecute you" (Matt. 5:44). These words, which have never been easy, seem
all the more difficult today.
Nevertheless, a time comes when silence is betrayal. How many churches
have heard sermons on these texts since the terrorist atrocities of
September 11? Where is the serious debate about what it means to confess
Christ in a world of violence? Does Christian "realism" mean resigning
ourselves to an endless future of "pre-emptive wars"? Does it mean turning
a blind eye to torture and massive civilian casualties? Does it mean
acting out of fear and resentment rather than intelligence and restraint?
Faithfully confessing Christ is the church's task, and never more so than
when its confession is co-opted by militarism and nationalism.
- A "theology of war," emanating from the highest circles of American
government, is seeping into our churches as well.
- The language of "righteous empire" is employed with growing frequency.
- The roles of God, church, and nation are confused by talk of an American
"mission" and "divine appointment" to "rid the world of evil."
The security issues before our nation allow no easy solutions. No one has
a monopoly on the truth. But a policy that rejects the wisdom of
international consultation should not be baptized by religiosity. The
danger today is political idolatry exacerbated by the politics of fear.
In this time of crisis, we need a new confession of Christ.
1. Jesus Christ, as attested in Holy Scripture, knows no national
boundaries. Those who confess his name are found throughout the earth. Our
allegiance to Christ takes priority over national identity. Whenever
Christianity compromises with empire, the gospel of Christ is discredited.
We reject the false teaching that any nation-state can ever be described
with the words, "the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not
overcome it." These words, used in scripture, apply only to Christ. No
political or religious leader has the right to twist them in the service
of war.
2. Christ commits Christians to a strong presumption against war. The
wanton destructiveness of modern warfare strengthens this obligation.
Standing in the shadow of the Cross, Christians have a responsibility to
count the cost, speak out for the victims, and explore every alternative
before a nation goes to war. We are committed to international cooperation
rather than unilateral policies.
We reject the false teaching that a war on terrorism takes precedence over
ethical and legal norms. Some things ought never be done - torture, the
deliberate bombing of civilians, the use of indiscriminate weapons of mass
destruction - regardless of the consequences.
3. Christ commands us to see not only the splinter in our adversary's eye,
but also the beam in our own. The distinction between good and evil does
not run between one nation and another, or one group and another. It runs
straight through every human heart.
We reject the false teaching that America is a "Christian nation,"
representing only virtue, while its adversaries are nothing but vicious.
We reject the belief that America has nothing to repent of, even as we
reject that it represents most of the world's evil. All have sinned and
fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23).
4. Christ shows us that enemy-love is the heart of the gospel. While we
were yet enemies, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8, 10). We are to show love
to our enemies even as we believe God in Christ has shown love to us and
the whole world. Enemy-love does not mean capitulating to hostile agendas
or domination. It does mean refusing to demonize any human being created
in God's image.
We reject the false teaching that any human being can be defined as
outside the law's protection. We reject the demonization of perceived
enemies, which only paves the way to abuse; and we reject the mistreatment
of prisoners, regardless of supposed benefits to their captors.
5. Christ teaches us that humility is the virtue befitting forgiven
sinners. It tempers all political disagreements, and it allows that our
own political perceptions, in a complex world, may be wrong.
We reject the false teaching that those who are not for the United States
politically are against it or that those who fundamentally question
American policies must be with the "evil-doers." Such crude distinctions,
especially when used by Christians, are expressions of the Manichaean
heresy, in which the world is divided into forces of absolute good and
absolute evil.
The Lord Jesus Christ is either authoritative for Christians, or he is
not. His Lordship cannot be set aside by any earthly power. His words may
not be distorted for propagandistic purposes. No nation-state may usurp
the place of God.
We believe that acknowledging these truths is indispensable for followers
of Christ. We urge them to remember these principles in making their
decisions as citizens. Peacemaking is central to our vocation in a
troubled world where Christ is Lord.
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Brethren Nonviolence,
Another Way of Living
<http://www.freewebz.com/cobnv/>http://www.freewebz.com/cobnv/
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