Disarm Iraq Without War
A Statement from Religious Leaders in the United States and United
Kingdom
"Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they
learn war any more." (Isaiah 2:4)
[posted here 10-15-02]
As the calls for military action against Iraq continue
from our two governments, despite the new opening for U.N weapons
inspections, we are compelled by the prophetic vision of peace to speak
a word of caution to our governments and our people. We represent a
diversity of Christian communities - from the just war traditions to the
pacifist tradition. As leaders of these communities in the United States
and the United Kingdom, it is our considered judgment that a preemptive
war against Iraq, particularly in the current situation would not be
justified. Yet we believe Iraq must be disarmed of weapons of mass
destruction; and that alternative courses to war should be diligently
pursued.
Let there be no mistake: We regard Saddam Hussein and
his regime in Iraq as a real threat to his own people, neighboring
countries, and to the world. His previous use and continued development
of weapons of mass destruction is of great concern to us. The question
is how to respond to that threat. We believe the Iraqi government has a
duty to stop its internal repression, to end its threats to peace, to
abandon its efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction, and to
respect the legitimate role of the United Nations in ensuring that it
does so. But our nations and the international community must pursue
these goals in a manner consistent with moral principles, political
wisdom, and international law. As Christians, we seek to be guided by
the vision of a world in which nations do not attempt to resolve
international problems by making war on other nations. It is a long-held
Christian principle that all governments and citizens are obliged to
work for the avoidance of war.
We therefore urge our governments, especially
President Bush and Prime Minister Blair, to pur-sue alternative means to
disarm Iraq of its most destructive weapons. Diplomatic cooperation with
the United Nations in renewing rigorously effective and thoroughly
comprehensive weapons inspections, linked to the gradual lifting of
sanctions, could achieve the disarmament of Iraq without the risks and
costs of military attack.
We do not believe that preemptive war with Iraq: is a
last resort, could effectively guard against massive civilian
casualties, would be waged with adequate international authority, and
could predictably create a result proportionate to the cost. And it is
not clear that the threat of Saddam Hussein cannot be contained in
other, less costly ways. An attack on Iraq could set a precedent for
preemptive war, further destabilize the Middle East, and fuel more
terrorism. We, there-fore, do not believe that war with Iraq can be
justified under the principle of a "just war," but would be
illegal, unwise, and immoral.
Illegal
Whether we oppose all war, or reluctantly accept it
only as a last resort, in this case the U.S. government has not
presented an adequate justification for war. Iraq has not attacked or
directly threatened the United States, nor is it clear that its weapons
of mass destruction pose an immediate and urgent threat to neighboring
countries or the world. It has not been credibly implicated in the
attacks of September 11. Under international law, including the U.N.
Charter, the only circumstance under which individual states may invoke
the authority to go to war is in self-defense following an armed attack.
In Christian just war doctrine, there are rigorous conditions even for
an act of self-defense. Preemptive war by one state against another is
not permitted by either law or doctrine. For the United States to
initiate military action against Iraq without authorization by the
United Nations Security Council would set a dangerous precedent that
would threaten the foundations of international security. And under our
domestic governance, the U.S. Congress and the U.K. Parliament must also
play a key role in authorizing any contemplated military action.
Unwise
The potential social and diplomatic consequences of a
war against Iraq make it politically un-wise. The U.S. and the U.K.
could be acting almost entirely alone. Many nations, including our
European allies and most of the Arab world, strongly oppose such a war.
To initiate a major war in an area of the world already in great turmoil
could destabilize governments and increase political extremism
throughout the Middle East and beyond. It would add fuel to the fires of
violence that are already consuming the region. It would exacerbate
anti-American hatred and produce new recruits for terror attacks against
the United States and Israel. A unilateral war would also undermine the
continued political cooperation needed for the international campaign to
isolate terrorist networks. The U.S. could very well win a battle
against Iraq and lose the campaign against terrorism. The potentially
dangerous and highly chaotic aftermath of a war with Iraq would require
years of occupation, investment, and a high level of international
cooperation--none of which have yet to be adequately planned or even
considered. And the Iraqi people themselves have an important role in
creating non-violent resistance within their own country with
international support. Immoral
We are particularly concerned by the potential human
costs of war. If the military strategy includes massive air attacks and
urban warfare in the streets of Baghdad, tens of thousands of innocent
civilians could lose their lives. This alone makes such a military
attack morally unacceptable. In addition, the people of Iraq continue to
suffer severely from the effects of the Gulf War, the resulting decade
of sanctions, and the neglect and oppression of a brutal dictator.
Rather than inflicting further suffering on them through a costly war,
we should assist in re-building their country and alleviating their
suffering. We also recognize that in any conflict, the casualties among
attacking forces could be very high. This potential suffering in our own
societies should also lead to prudent caution.
We reaffirm our religious hope for a world in which
"nation shall not lift up sword against nation." We pray that
our governments will be guided by moral principles, political wisdom,
and legal standards, and will step back from their calls for war.
United States
Philip A. Amerson
President
The Claremont School of Theology
David Beckmann
President
Bread for the World
Peter Borgdorff
Executive Director of Ministries
Christian Reformed Church in North America
Ronald Brugler
President
The Swedenborgian Church
John A. Buehrens
Past President
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
Tony Campolo
Professor Emeritus
Eastern University
John Bryson Chane
Bishop
Episcopal Diocese of Washington
Canice Connors, OFM.Conv.
President,
Conference of Major Superiors of Men
John P. Crossley
Director, School of Religion
University of Southern California
Robert Edgar
General Secretary
National Council of Churches
Joseph A. Fiorenza
Bishop
Catholic Diocese of Galveston - Houston
Jim Forest
Secretary
Orthodox Peace Fellowship
Robert Franklin
President
Interdenominational Theological Center
Linda C. Fuller
Co-Founder and President
Habitat for Humanity
Millard Fuller
Founder and President
Habitat for Humanity
Michael J. Gorman, Ph.D.
Dean
The Ecumenical Institute of Theology
St. Mary's Seminary & University
Wesley Granberg-Michaelson
General Secretary
Reformed Church in America
Richard L. Hamm
General Minister and President
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the U.S. and Canada
Stan Hastey
Executive Director
The Alliance of Baptists
Thomas L. Hoyt, Jr.
Bishop, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
President-elect, National Council of Churches
William C. Imes, President
Bangor Theological Seminary
Thomas H. Jeavons
General Secretary, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Holly H. Johnson
President
Blanton-Peale Institute of Psychology and Religion
Norman J. Kansfield
President
New Brunswick Theological Seminary
Michael Mata
Director
Urban Leadership Institute
Felton Edwin May
Bishop, Baltimore-Washington Conference United Methodist Church
A. Roy Medley
General Secretary,
American Baptist Churches USA
John W. Oliver
Coordinator
Orthodox Peace Fellowship in North America
Glenn Palmberg
President
Evangelical Covenant Church
Robert M. Parham
Executive Director
Baptist Center for Ethics
Judy Mills Reimer
General Secretary
Church of the Brethren General Board
David Robinson
National Coordinator
Pax Christi USA
Cheryl J. Sanders
Professor of Christian Ethics
Howard University School of Divinity
Senior Pastor, Third Street Church of God
William J. Shaw
President
National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.
Carole Shinnick, SSND
Executive Director
Leadership Conference of Women Religious
Ronald G. Sider
President
Evangelicals for Social Action
Glen Stassen
Lewis B. Smedes Professor of Christian Ethics
Fuller Theological Seminary
Walter F. Sullivan,
Bishop-President of Pax Christi USA
Bishop, Catholic Diocese of Richmond
Joe Volk
Executive Secretary
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Jim Wallis
Executive Director/Editor
Sojourners
Barbara G. Wheeler
President
Auburn Theological Seminary
Mary Ann Zollmann, BVM
President
Leadership Conference of Women Religious
United Kingdom
Peter Price
Bishop Of Bath and Wells
Michael Langrish
Bishop of Exeter
Stephen Venner
Bishop of Dover
Michael Dunelm
Bishop of Durham
Michael Scott-Joynt
Bishop of Winchester
Colin Bennetts
Bishop of Coventry
Keiran Conry
Bishop of Arundel and Brighton (RC)
Peter Selby
Bishop of Worcester and Bishop to HM Prisons, Church of England
Jonathan Bailey
Bishop of Derby
John Perry
Bishop of Chelmsford
John Hind
Bishop of Chichester
Tim Stevens
Bishop of Leicester
Keith Sutton
Bishop of Lichfield
John Saxbee
Bishop of Lincoln
Anthony Pierce
Bishop of Swansea & Brecon
John Gladwin
Bishop of Guilford
Christopher Herbert
Bishop of St. Albans
John Stewart Davies
Bishop of St Asaph.
The Rt Rev'd Dr Barry Morgan
Bishop of Llandaff
Most Rev Andrew Bruce Cameron
Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney
Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church
Michael Hare Duke
Retired Bishop of St Andrews
Maurice Taylor
Bishop of Galloway, Scotland (RC)
Alan D McDonald
Convener, Church and Nation Committee
Church of Scotland
Dr Nigel Goring Wright
President of the Baptist Union of Great Britain
C Rosemary H Castagner
Clerk
Ireland Yearly Meeting's Committee
Canon Andrew White
Coventry Cathedral Reconciliation Centre
Pat Gaffney
General Secretary
Pax Christi UK
