| War and Faith |
| Monday, 31 March 2008 | |
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I had one of those weird "coincidence" moments recently. During the break of a morning class I had a student come up to me and share about a friend who was going through a crisis of faith after coming back from serving in the military in Iraq. They couldn't understand how God could forgive them, and how to relate to God, after what they saw and participated in overseas. Then, during the break of my subsequent morning class I had a student come up to me and share about a friend who was going through a crisis of faith after coming back from serving in the military in Iraq. They couldn't understand how God could forgive them, and how to relate to God, after what they saw and participated in overseas. Strangely, both students were sitting next to each other in my second class. I asked them individually if their stories were confidential, and when they said "no", we had a discussion about war and faith. There are a handful of questions that I've been mulling around since. The first two are directed towards those who support war:
What are your thoughts on these or related questions? I'd appreciate your thoughts. Set as favorite Bookmark
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IN my ethics class I took from Deborah Loyd we spent one evening in discussion about Just War Theory. (grabbing my notes...um, ok, here they are...)
People who believe in evaluating the need for war according to a just war assessment look at four intentions: a just war's goal is a just peace not a war of revenge not a territorial conquest no ideological supremacy Just War advocates also maintain two major criteria: 1. Non-combatant immunity (leave civilians out of it) 2. Proportionate Means (limits force and violence to only what is truly necessary) The big question is Who decides what is a Just War? Who monitors the conditions? Then there are various positions of thought on Just War: Activism- support military effort. The Christian is committed to supporting and engaging in a war because it is bound in the honoring of one's government which is God-ordained (though how Christians on opposing sides of a war sort this one through is bewildering to me...) Dominion Argument- The idea that government is invested with divine purpose, therefore, whoever is resisting war is resisting God. Philosophical Justification- Plato said that government is one's parent and educator. The governed have the right to serve and support the government, including war. Another thought: It's a greater evil to let evil run rampant than to go to war with evil. (but who decides what is evil? what is evil for one nation is not necessarily evil for another.) In a war, both sides claim justification. Is there any circumstance where war is justified on both sides? Selectivism- This is the basic concept of Just War theory. We can choose to fight in some wars because some wars are justifiable in some circumstances. (like the war against Hitler's Germany) Blind patriotism is not ok, as the activist seems to be saying. The selectivist, however, is not a pacifist, who would allow Hitler to go unchecked. Does God empower governments to retaliate? Is physical force contrary to love? (hey, if I was in a concentration camp it would be love to have troops storm the SS and rescue me and my family!) How can we simultaneously prepare for war and seek peace? Pacifists- total commitment to non-violence. (While I respect the conscience of the pacifist, honestly I do, however, a pacifist is the last person I would want around if my family was under aggressive attack. I believe in defense.) But there are social arguments for pacifism in the context of war and aggression: War is based on power and greed. Covetousness causes war and violence. Plato said war is a luxury... War breeds war. Cold wars turn into hot wars and then back into cold wars. Humanity is showing battle fatigue from the horrors against humankind. I am sympathetic to those you spoke with John. War creates moral tension and ethical conflict for all involved, particularly the Christ follower. Jesus' way is a way of peace, we know this. Certainly this is a very complex issue. Each person has to follow their conscience. You asked,
I don't know. I wonder if talking it through to determine what the specific areas of conflict are for them. What is an ethical dilemma for one person might not be for another. As for a crisis of faith? We all have them, different context of course, but everybody has to weather through various crises of faith. What is our picture of God when we are confronted with suffering and injustice? How do we view God's involvement in human affairs when evil flourishes? Where is God's presence in the history of war? These are intense, philosophical questions that we have wrestled with for millenium. How do we help our Christian brothers and sisters who have served in war? Listening, praying, getting God's wisdom and grace for that person. Being present in the crisis. Paying attention. I don't know any military. Portland is not much of a military town. We have reserves, but no military bases to speak of. I rarely see military in uniform in my city. But my heart sure is with them, especially those who wrestle, for whatever reason, with how to fulfill their military duty and Christian conscience. 1 report abuse
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April 01, 2008
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After that long, thoughtful comment above, i'm not sure if I can comment. I know I don't want to write as much as Pam did, but it really does take a lot of reflection to answer all you've asked.
I really am uncertain about my thoughts. Ten years ago I didn't think about or question these issues. My dad fought; I would have fought. I was "patriotic." Today, I do struggle with whether I would want to object to fighting, my loyalty being first to the Kingdom of God. At the same time, I have to ask myself what I would have done if I had lived in 1942. Would I feel just going to fight against the German army? I think I would have. I think the answer lies in the individual conscience and in God's direction to that individual. I mean, who am I to question one Christian's belief he or she is called to fight and another's who believes he is called to object to war? And, I also believe God could call one person to go to war and another to stay at home and speak that truth into both of their lives. 2 report abuse
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April 02, 2008
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well, yeah, most of the writing i posted were gleanings from my notes from my class. i hope it's not scaring people off from participating in this discussion. they're just notes.
you've raised an important issue here, john, which is, how are we meant to respond to our brothers and sisters who go to war? how are we to respond to our government? our neighbors? is this a just war or an unjustified occupation? it is so complex, and that complexity is tiresome. i'd much rather watch american idol than sit through a news cast with analysts trying to explain where it all went wrong. so maybe it's not my verbose comment keeping people silent on this one. maybe it's the thing it self, the notion of war and the christian response... just thinking outloud on your blog. again. 3 report abuse
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April 02, 2008
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bryan said:
I think the answer lies in the individual conscience and in God's direction to that individual. I mean, who am I to question one Christian's belief he or she is called to fight and another's who believes he is called to object to war? And, I also believe God could call one person to go to war and another to stay at home and speak that truth into both of their lives. i think the same way. and in the military there are so many kinds of jobs and duties to perform that the context of each person's military experience likely makes a difference in how their faith is affected... 4 report abuse
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April 02, 2008
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Hi Pam,
Lots of great food for thought. Deborah's class sounds like one I would have enjoyed sitting in on  5 report abuse
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April 03, 2008
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I think "just war" theology is extremely proplematic.
1/ There are few other areas of theology where we give more weight to the Old Testament than the New Testament and one must ask why? 2/ Is "justice" the only criteria for determining what God would have us do? Is not "grace" equally important? If we started talking about "gracious" war and love of ememies how might that shift the conversation? 3/ Is it Biblical to draw a distinction between person to person ethics and nation to nation ethics? 4/ Why is it that just war theology is never used to stop a war? Are all wars perpetuated by Christians so just that invoking it was never justified? Does that not show its powerlessness and bankruptcy? Would it not be better to refer to this as "justification for war" theology? 5/ Can violence ever be redemptive? 6/ When two states ask Christian citizens to go to war against one another despite what their conscience might say, it that not placing the state above God? Note, I am not saying there will never be circumstances under which Christians may find war necessary, but the Kingdom of God will never come through war and I must question to what extent just war theology is a hangover of the Constantinian state-church heresy. 6 report abuse
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April 03, 2008
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excellent point, matt. Just War theory seems to be related to the "Peace through War" perspective that many have spoken of since the invasion of Iraq. For Christians, it is interesting how we respond, or don't, to national acts of aggression against other nations....I am increasingly uncomfortable with my own apathy and blind trust in my government. And I don't quite know how to think about it, let alone act upon the troubling news of our troops being assaulted and killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Whenever there are protests I do not attend (for all kinds of reasons) but inwardly I support the public, peaceful protest of our occupation of Iraq. At a parade last year the women wearing pink showed up, peacefully wearing pink and walking through as a gesture of protest against the war in Iraq. Is this all they do? Wear pink, smile and parade around towns and cities? I'm not sure if they are involved in other forms of activism or protest, and though it was lovely to see these grandmotherly women quietly walking the parade route I thought, "What's the point?"
But that is probably my inner cynic trying to throw some negativity on citizen's exercising their right to criticize their government. 7 report abuse
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April 04, 2008
Votes: +0  How do we care for military personnel who are going through a crisis of faith because of their participation in war? The Christian Church at large most definitely has a role to fill and an obligation to be with soldiers in these moments of crisis. A very practical answer to this question is to look at some of the things Christians are doing. Two things come to mind for me. In the historic peace church tradition that I grew up in, the Church of the Brethren has created a "Welcome Home Project." The church "believes that the Christian message of love, justice, service, and humility includes reaching out to soldiers, who may be hurting, afraid, silent, and marginalized. Too often, Christian pacifists have been separated from those who have served in the military. A living peace church accompanies all those who have experienced the violence and trauma of war. We believe that soldiers returning from battle are sometimes harmed spiritually as much as physically." To see how they are living this out, here's their website http://www.brethren.org/oepa/p...index.html The Christian peacemaking community that I'm apart of, has a friend who is a Christian and a veteran of the Iraq war. He is very outspoken about the crisis of faith he went through and how that led to him becoming a conscientious objector. He blogs at http://courageouscoward.blogspot.com/ 8 report abuse
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April 04, 2008
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I am continually concerned for those coming back from war. The psychological damage that war causes is very understated. Many of our veterans become homeless, due to the lack of adequate care when they come home. The 'real' world is very difficult for them and many marriages are hurt due to inadequate intervention.
I have often thought of treating the military community for free but am too poor to do so right now. The military should do a better job following through with mental health treatment. The effects of poor mental health have direct influences on the perception of spirituality. I have hesitated to respond to this because talking about it really doesn't help the so many in need. Makes me feel guilty for not doing more. 9 report abuse
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April 04, 2008
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John, I'm challenged by Dietrich Bonhoeffer- who was a pacifist... and then plotted to assassinate Hitler. Was he wrong to do so? Or, was it wrong for so many who had the chance to assassinate Hitler to sit back while he murdered millions. There seems to be a point when standing by "peacefully" is the sinful option. As deplorable as violence is, there seems to be a certain moment when it is the right option.
In saying this, I did not justify every military incursion or action. I simply said that there comes a time when war is terribly right. 10 report abuse
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April 07, 2008
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1. How do we care for military personnel who are going through a crisis of faith because of their participation in war?
Should we care for them differently than we would anyone else going through a crisis of faith? I don't mean to sound snarky here, but I really wonder how we can do things for military personnel that are different from Christians who are involved in other professions/vocations. 2. On what biblical and ethical basis should, or should not, Christians be involved in war? The trouble with military service for Christians, as I see it, is that once someone goes military, they lose their ability to choose what sort of conflict they enter into. I am not opposed to all war, but there really isn't an "opt out" for Christians who enlist and then are faced with moral dilemmas. 11 report abuse
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April 07, 2008
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I think the first question is very significant. Would people be supportive of a war effort if their neighborhood was the one hit by the bombs that "missed"? If their children had limbs blown off, if they didn't know if soldiers would appear to terrorize them in the night? If the war is all rhetoric about fighting terrorism, ending a regime, spreading democracy, or protecting our freedom it is easy to support. Mutilated bodies of children whose parents are weeping and asking why is a lot harder to deal with. There are reasons why we only hear rhetoric and debate just way theory - no one want to deal with the reality.
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April 14, 2008
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