WAR Iraq: Religion, ethics and values take center stage
The stage is set
for new direction in the war in Iraq, with a clear message sent by frustrated
voters, new legislators intent on changing policy and a new chief at the Pentagon.
The debate on how to proceed in Iraq is being framed in moral terms by all sides,
and religious voices are prominent in efforts to urge action on behalf of the
many different people and causes involved. ReligionLink offers a post-election
guide to covering the issues.
As the war continues
and casualties mount for both Americans and Iraqis, conscientious objectors
are gaining a higher profile. CO’s, as they are called, are members of the military
who say they developed -- during either their training or service -- a deeply
held conviction that all wars are wrong. Some CO’s are starting Web sites. They
are featured at rallies and anti-war protests. Some have moved to Canada. They
tell their stories in the media. Their stories are unique and nuanced, ranging
from newly adopted religious beliefs to patient reconsideration of what beliefs
and values mean in action.
The number of requests
processed by the Army -- each branch processes its own requests -- has been around
60 each year since 2003, when the war began, but the number of requests
that are rejected has risen in each of the last three years, according to figures
released Nov. 10, 2006, by the U.S. Army Public Affairs Office:
In 2003, 29
of 60 requests were rejected.
In 2004, 34
of 67 requests were rejected.
In 2005, 38
of 61 requests were rejected.
J.E. McNeil, executive
director of the Center
on Conscience and War, which works with conscientious objectors, notes that
numbers kept by the armed forces reflect only cases that went from beginning
to end (at the end, applications are either rejected or, if approved, the applicant
is either reassigned or discharged). The process of applying for and gaining
CO status is long and complicated and involves a written application, interviews
and character witnesses. The center estimates that 200 people annually seek
such status, though many do not complete the extensive process, for a variety
of reasons. McNeil says inquiries about CO status have risen steadily since
the Iraq invasion.
RESOURCES
• The Selective Service System defines a conscientious objector as “one
who is opposed to serving in the armed forces and/or bearing arms on the grounds
of moral or religious principles.” The agency’s Web site explains the requirements
and procedure for claiming conscientious objector status.
• J.E. McNeil is executive director of the Center
on Conscience and War in Washington, D.C., an interreligious body that has
worked since 1940 to support conscientious objection. Contact 202-483-2220,
j_e@centeronconscience.org.
• The Central
Committee for Conscientious Objectors administers a GI
Rights Hotline that is maintained by a number of organizations.
It offers links
to information about individual military war resisters. Contact the Oakland
office, 510-465-1617; Philadelphia office, 215-563-8787.
• Courage
to Resist is a California-based organization supporting war resisters Ivan
Brobeck and Kyle Snyder. Contact 510-764-2073. Courage
to Resist Military is planning activities for the weekend of Dec. 8-10 to
support people who object to the war and to support the right to conscientious
objection.
• The University of Winnipeg in Canada hosted a conference
in October 2006 on conscientious objection.
• The War Resisters
Support Campaign in Toronto profiles
nine men who left the U.S armed forces while serving in Iraq or while facing
deployment there. The campaign is endorsed
by religious leaders and groups. Contact 416-598-1222.
• Agustin Aguayo,
an Army medic, is imprisoned in Germany awaiting action by the Army after he
refused in September 2006 to return to Iraq.
• Martin L. Cook is Elihu Root Professor of Military Studies and professor
of ethics at the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pa. He wrote the
article “Can
Christians Serve in the Armed Forces?” for the July 4-11, 2001, issue
of The Christian Century. His answer is a nuanced “yes.”
• Gregory
S. Clapper is assistant professor of religion and philosophy at Westmar College
in Le Mars, Iowa, and a National Guard chaplain. In “Wounds
of War,” a June 28, 2000, article in The Christian Century, he argues
that military service is compatible with Christianity.
• Read
an Oct.
13, 2006, New York Times story about Sgt. Ricky Clousing, a Christian
soldier who was sentenced to 11 months of confinement for going AWOL during
the Iraq war. He is quoted as saying: “My experiences in Iraq forced me to re-evaluate
my beliefs and my ethics. I ultimately felt I could not serve.”
• Read
an April
1, 2003, New York Times story that says C.O. numbers are small but
growing. It’s posted by CommonDreams.org.
Waging
peace: Civil disobedience
Anti-war and peace
activists in the United States have been energized by election results that
wrested control of Congress from President Bush’s Republican Party. Advisory
referenda calling for troop withdrawal from Iraq passed in towns in Wisconsin,
Illinois and Massachusetts. With religious leaders playing a prominent role,
coalitions of activists are now laying plans for a full-court press on the new
Congress to commit to troop withdrawal and the reconstruction of Iraq. As they
have since the war began, faith communities are emphasizing that peace is possible.
They are also highlighting concerns about troops stretched to the limit, military
families strained by economics and emotions, Iraqis whose lives have been devastated
by war, and people in Iraq who are being persecuted for their faith.
Anti-war and peace
coalitions are preparing to do battle over the next federal budget in February,
when the government is expected to seek new and large amounts of funding for
Iraq. They also are planning anti-war activities nationally and locally timed
to the fourth anniversary of the March 2003 invasion. Civil disobedience and
nonviolent resistance – two tactics used during civil rights-era protests –
are gaining profile and popularity. Activists used it in a demonstration in
a U.S. Senate office building on Sept. 26 that led to 71 arrests.
RESOURCES
• Mandate
for Peace, a coalition of peace groups calling for full withdrawal of troops,
includes religious
endorsers.
• Declaration
of Peace, a campaign begun in 2006 by religious and secular peace groups,
has called for a timetable for peace in Iraq. More than half
the 500 endorsers were from the faith community. Peace activities took place
in 11 states
and Washington, D.C, at the end of September, resulting in 268 arrests across
the country in 21 cities for nonviolent protest. Watch a You
Tube video of an interfaith service and arrests at a U.S. Senate building
Sept. 26. The campaign is making plans for 2007, targeting the February presentation
of the federal budget and the fourth anniversary of the Iraq war in March. It
plans to pressure congressional members locally to commit to peace in Iraq.
Contact spokesman Ken Butigan in Chicago, 773-777-7133, kenbutigan@earthlink.net.
• Gordon
Clark is convener of the National
Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance. Contact 301-589-2355.
• The
United for Peace and
Justice Coalition includes a number of religious
groups.
• Voices
for Creative Nonviolence is organizing the Occupation
Project. The Chicago-based activist group is calling for occupation of the
offices of elected representatives starting in February. Group coordinator Kathy
Kelly, who has visited Iraq 24 times since 1996, has received numerous peacemaking
awards from religious groups. Contact 773-878-3815.
• Read
a Sept.
26, 2006, CNN.com story on the arrests of religious activists during a Washington,
D.C., protest.
• Read
a Nov.
8 Madison, Wis., Capital Times story on troop withdrawal referenda
that won in three states.
Extreme
makeover: Just-war theory
The Iraq war has
changed just-war theory from an academic debate to a mainstream conversation.
The war – with the complicating factors of pre-emption, international terrorism,
torture, prisoner abuse and more -- has also challenged the limits of just-war
theory, a doctrine with roots in Christianity that posits that governments sometimes
– but not always -- have a morally justified reason for using mass political
violence. Experts have recognized that while just-war theory is an important
tool for analyzing political and military action, the changing character of
international conflict requires that just-war theory and other ethical standards
on war be developed beyond where they are now. The 21st century has
brought the bewildering realization that war presents new challenges and new
dangers. Political and military leaders, academics, religious leaders and citizens
all need a way to talk about wars in order to prevent conflicts, to keep them
focused on morally just and attainable goals, and to end them in ways that do
not beget more wars – the three principal aspects of just-war theory.
The Iraq war has
brought new vigor and commitment to developing just-war theory and other forms
of ethical debate about war. The power shift in Congress and the clear election
mandate for a change in military policy means these developing conversations
may get a greater public airing, particularly as the United States debates when
and how to reduce or end its military commitment in Iraq. The Global Ethics
and Religion Forum, for example, has quietly been working on a new project called
“Revising
Just War Theory for the 21st Century,” which involves top experts
from around the world (many from the United States) and includes representatives
of all the major religious traditions.
Just-war theory
has generally been debated in scholarly conferences or academic journals. But
it is not just an academic exercise. It is important because it provides a moral
framework for evaluating the reason for starting a war and the way it is conducted.
And that moral framework is important because not all wars should be waged,
and once they are, an “anything goes” approach to combat can lead to unnecessary
suffering, death and, perhaps, more war. The Bush administration’s call for
a pre-emptive strike against Iraq caused political scientists, theologians,
politicians and military experts to debate whether that call met the requirements
of a just war. Different experts came to different conclusions. While some interpreted
this as a weakness of just-war theory, others saw it as the natural result of
the fact that while a doctrine has set standards, different people will apply
those standards in different ways, resulting in different conclusions.
Many are working
to develop just-war theory so that it can be helpful in resolving conflicts
in the Middle East, Sudan and other places as well as Iraq. Here are resources
to get started.
RESOURCES
• Read
the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy’s brief
introduction to just-war theory (scroll down to “Just war”).
• “Revising
Just War Theory for the 21st Century” is a new project of The
Global Ethics and Religion Forum. Its goal is to produce a new ethics of
war that takes into account international terrorism, humanitarian intervention,
the use of child soldiers, the use of torture and the employment of private
military companies. It includes participants from all the major world religions.
Upcoming events and the participants in the forum are listed on the project’s
home page. Contact Joseph Runzo, executive director of the Global Ethics
and Religion Forum, which is based in Orange, Calif., at 714-633-5504, runzo@GERForum.org.
• JustWarTheory.com
is an extensive Web guide to philosophical studies of warfare, maintained by
Mark Rigstad, assistant professor of philosophy at Oakland University. It is
a treasure trove of links, information and articles on just-war theory. Contact
Rigstad at rigstad@oakland.edu.
• The
BBC posts a resource
page on the ethics of war and just-war theory.
• The
University of San Diego maintains a Web
page on war, peace, terrorism and military ethics, which includes many links
to resources and articles.
PUBLICATIONS
• Several
journals have regularly included articles on the ethics of war. They include
First Things (see a January
2005 essay by James Turner Johnson, for example), and The New Republic
(see the July
31, 2006, contents, which focus on just-war theory and the Middle East,
including an essay
by Michael Walzer).
• The
summer 2006 issue of Dissent includes an exchange between co-editor Michael
Walzer and Jean
Bethke Elshtain about regime change in Iraq and just-war theory.
EXPERTS
• James
Childress is Edwin B. Kyle Professor of Religious Studies, director of the
Institute for Practical Ethics at the University of Virginia and an expert on
just-war theory. Contact 434-924-6724, childress@virginia.edu.
• Jean
Bethke Elshtain is Laura Spelman Rockefeller Professor of Social and Political
Ethics in the Divinity School at the University of Chicago and author ofJust War Against Terror: The Burden of American Power in a Violent World
(Basic Books, 2003). Contact 773-702-7252, jbelshta@midway.uchicago.edu.
• Vincent
Ferraro is the Ruth C. Lawson Professor of International Politics at Mount
Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass. He posts a page
on just-war theory. Contact 413-538-2669, vferraro@mtholyoke.edu.
• Vice Admiral Michael
D. Haskins is dean of the Stockdale
Center for Ethical Leadership at the United States Naval Academy and holds
the distinguished chair of leadership in the department of leadership, ethics,
law and character. Contact 410-293-6006, mhaskins@usna.edu.
• James
Turner Johnson, a professor of religion at Rutgers University in New Jersey,
is considered one of the deans of contemporary just-war theory. He has written
many articles and books on the topic. Contact 732-932-9637, jtj@rci.rutgers.edu.
• John
Kelsay, co-editor of the Journal of Religious Ethics, is the Richard
L. Rubenstein Professor of Religion at Florida State University. Kelsay has
written about Islam, human rights and just war. Contact 850-644-0209, jkelsay@garnet.acns.fsu.edu.
• David
Kinsella isassociate professor of political science at the Mark
O. Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University in Oregon. He
is co-editor of The Morality of War: A Reader (forthcoming in 2007 from
Lynne Rienner). A draft
is available on the Web. Contact 503-725-3035, kinsella@pdx.edu.
• Reuven
Kimelman, professor of Near Eastern and Jewish studies at Brandeis University,
wrote an essay called Jewish Understanding of War and Its Limits. Contact
781-736-2963, kimelman@brandeis.edu.
• Robin
Lovin, Carey Maguire University Professor of Ethics at Southern Methodist University
in Dallas, can discuss just-war theory and Iraq. Read a column
he wrote for Faithful Democrats, an online Christian group. Contact 214-768-4134,
rlovin@mail.smu.edu.
• Gerard
F. Powers is director of policy studies at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for
International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame. From 1998 to 2004
he was director of the Office of International Justice and Peace of the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops. He has criticized current military action in
Iraq using just-war reasoning. Contact 574-631-3765, gpowers1@nd.edu.
• Glen
H. Stassen is a professor of Christian ethics at Fuller Theological Seminary
in Pasadena, Calif., who specializes in war, peace and ethics. He wrote Just
Peacemaking: Ten Practices for Abolishing War (Pilgrim Press, 2004). Contact
626-304-3733, gstassen@fuller.edu.
• Michael
Walzer is a prominent expert on just-war theory. He is a professor at the
school of social science at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J.,
and the author of Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument With Historical
Illustrations (Basic Books, 2006). Contact 609-734-8253.
• At
Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky., in October 2006, professors Jerry
Walls and Charles
Gutenson debated the Iraq war on just-war grounds. Contact through director
of communications Tina Pugel, 859-858-2277.
Humanitarian
concerns
Concern is increasing
for refugees displaced by the war and religious minorities in Iraq. The U.N.
High Commission on Refugees estimated
in October 2006 that 1.5 million people have been displaced within Iraq and
1.6 million are refugees elsewhere, most in neighboring Jordan and Syria. Reports
of persecution of Christians are becoming more frequent; an Orthodox priest
was kidnapped and killed in October.
RESOURCES
• The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote a letter
on Oct. 30, 2006, to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressing concern
about conditions for Christian and other religious minorities.
• The
U.S. Commission on
International Religious Freedom posts background
on religious freedom in Iraq. Contact 202-523-3240.
• The
United Nations High
Commission on Refugees expressed concern
Nov. 3 about rising violence in Iraq and a humanitarian crisis in the region.
• Read
an Oct.
17, 2006, New York Times story that describes murders, bombings and
kidnappings of Christians.
• Read
a May
14, 2006, Aljazeera story that reports social discrimination and violent
incidents prompting Christians to flee.
Talking
about torture
The abuses at the
Abu Ghraib prison brought public debate over how war prisoners are treated and
interrogated. Religious groups, who generally oppose torture of all kinds, have
become deeply involved in calling for a revision of government policies.
• See
“The Torture Debate: Religious opposition two years after Abu Ghraib,” an April
17, 2004, ReligionLink issue that offers interview sources, background articles,
and information on religious groups’ views.
Anticipating
Iran
Religious activists
have begun a campaign to pre-empt possible military action against Iran.
RESOURCES
• Words
Not War is an interfaith effort spearheaded by evangelical activist Jim
Wallis of Sojourners/Call to
Renewal and signed
by more than 100 clergy across the country. The petition
calls for direct negotiation to prevent military action against Iran. Contact
202-328-8842.
• Faithful Security
is a partner with Sojourners in the Words Not War campaign. Contact 800-233-6786,
info@faithfulsecurity.org.
Catalog:
Religious groups on the war
Many religious
bodies took positions on the Iraq invasion in 2003. Some have made additional
statements since then. In addition, many denominations have active peace fellowships.
CATHOLIC
• At their meeting in November 2006, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
issued a new
statement on Iraq, calling for the earliest possible troop withdrawal consistent
with a responsible transition. The bishops have weighed in on the Iraq situation
since 2003 with several
statements saying the war does not meet the criteria for a just war. In
addition, in an Oct.
30, 2006 letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, international policy
committee chair Bishop Thomas G. Wenski expressed concern about a “deteriorating
situation” for Christian and other minorities in Iraq. John Carr is secretary
of the Bishops’ Department of Social Development and World Peace, 202-541-3181.
• A
Nov.
10, 2006, National Catholic Reporter editorial says voter anger over
Iraq suggests larger discontent with policies on terrorism.
PROTESTANT
CHRISTIANS
• The
National Council of Churches
passed a resolution
Nov. 8 at its 2006 General Assembly calling for a withdrawal of American troops
linked to Iraqi rebuilding. The council opposed the war before it began and
has an index
of war resources. Contact the general secretary, the Rev. Bob Edgar, through
director of media relations Daniel Webster, 212-870-2252, dwebster@councilofchurches.org.
• Richard
Land is president of the Ethics and
Religious Liberty Commission for the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s
largest Protestant denomination. He said
in 2003 that the Iraq war met criteria for a just war. Land said in a Nov.
8, 2006, Washington Times article that evangelicals and Southern
Baptists would have been more inclined to vote Republican if Bush had been running
and listed on the ballot. Contact through Jill Martin, 615-782-8417.
• The
National Association of Evangelicals supported
the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Contact Richard Cizik, vice president for governmental
affairs, at 202-789-1011.
• Evangelical
activist Jim Wallis of Sojourners/Call
to Renewal said in his blog
that the midterm elections show that the war in Iraq is a moral value. Contact
202-328-8842.
• Thirty-one
bishops of the United Methodist Church, the largest mainline Protestant denomination,
signed a statement of conscience on the war calling for peacemaking. Jim Winkler,
general secretary of the General
Board of Church and Society, has criticized the war. Contact 202-488-5629.
• The
Rev. Timothy F. Simpson is a Presbyterian minister and interim president of
the Christian
Alliance for Progress, a national group with headquarters in Jacksonville,
Fla. The group calls
for withdrawal of troops from Iraq and international assistance in rebuilding
the country. Simpson was arrested during a demonstration in a U.S. Senate office
building Sept. 26, 2006. Contact tsimpson@christianalliance.org.
• The
Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. is a community activist and chairman and CEO of the
Hip Hop Caucus
(H2C) in Washington, D.C., a national coalition of pop culture, social, political
and youth organizations. He took part in an Iraq war demonstration Sept. 26
in Washington, D.C. Contact info@hiphopcaucus.org.
PEACE
FELLOWSHIPS
• Presbyterian
Peace Fellowship is co-led by former Presbyterian General Assembly moderator
Rick Ufford-Chase, who was arrested Sept. 26 in a U.S. Senate office building
for unlawful assembly. Contact the fellowship in Nyack, N.Y., 845-358-4601 ext.
38, ppf@forusa.org, or Ufford-Chase in Arizona at
520-780-6928, rickuffordchase@gmail.com.
• Hundreds
have signed the Baptist
Declaration in Opposition to Present U.S. Policies in Iraq developed through
the Baptist Peace Fellowship
of North America, based in Charlotte, N.C. Contact Evelyn Hanneman, interim
coordinating director, 704-521-6051.
• The
Pentecostal Charismatic
Peace Fellowship, which urged President Bush in 2003 not to invade Iraq,
has posted
online an October
2006 poll by the Institute for Southern Studies in Durham, N.C., showing
disillusionment about the Iraq war in Southern states. The fellowship in Waxahachie,
Texas, has nine
regional chapters. Marlon Millner of Philadelphia and Paul Alexander of
San Dimas, Calif., are co-coordinators. Contact info@pentecostalpeace.org.
• The
Adventist
Peace Fellowship offers information
about peace in the Seventh-day Adventist tradition.
• The
Church of the Brethren, a historic peace church, posts resources
on Iraq. Contact 202-546-3202.
• Orthodox
Peace Fellowship resources include an essay
on conscientious objection by Jim Forest, secretary of the fellowship, former
Navy officer and a conscientious objector. Contact jhforest@cs.com.
• The
Rev. Jackie Lynn, executive director of the Chicago-based Episcopal
Peace Fellowship, was among those arrested Sept. 26 in a U.S. Senate building
for unlawful assembly. The fellowship has chapters
in 28 states and Washington, D.C. Contact 312-922-8628.
• Peter
Lems is Iraq program associate at the American
Friends Service Committee, a Quaker group based in Philadelphia. He led
Quakers on a visit to Iraq in 2002. He says faith groups working for peace feel
empowered by the election. Contact him through Janis Shields, 215-241-7060.
JEWISH
• American
Jewish groups have been divided in their positions on Iraq, with support declining
over time. Released Oct. 23, the 2006
Annual Survey of American Jewish Opinion conducted by the American Jewish
Committee showed that almost two-thirds of American Jews believe the U.S. should
have stayed out of Iraq. The numbers varied among the branches of Judaism, with
38 percent of Orthodox and 73 percent of Reform Jews saying the U.S. should
have stayed out of Iraq. Contact AJC executive director David Harris through
Kenneth Bandler, 212-751-4000 ext. 271.
• Rabbi
Arthur Waskow of the Shalom
Center in Philadelphia took part in a Sept. 26 demonstration against the
war in Washington, D.C. Contact the center, 215-844-8494.
• The
executive committee of the Reform movement’s Union of American Hebrew Congregations
gave qualified support
in 2002 for unilateral action in Iraq, but in 2005 called for an exit strategy.
The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington, D.C., posts resources
on Iraq. Contact 202-387-2800.
• The
Union of Orthodox
Jewish Congregations of America supported action
against Iraq. Contact 212-613-8123 in New York, 202-513-6484 in Washington,
D.C.
• Rabbi
Michael Lerner, a peace activist, is editor of Tikkun magazine and founder
of the Tikkun Community, a peace and social justice movement. Contact
510-644-1200, rabbilerner@tikkun.org.
• The
Jewish Peace
Fellowship in Nyack, N.Y., is circulating a petition to end the occupation
of Iraq. Contact 845-358-4601 ext. 35.
MUSLIM
• The
Muslim Peace Fellowship
in Nyack, N.Y., is forming local
groups in San Francisco; Columbia, S.C.; Atlanta; and San Antonio, Texas.
Contact Rabia Harris, 845-358-4601 ext. 43.
• The
American Muslim Voice
is a San Francisco Bay-area organization concerned with civil liberties. It
endorsed Mandate
for Peace. Contact
founding executive director Samina Faheem Sundas, 650-387-1994.
• Muslims
for a Safe America is a blog about American Muslims and American security
concerns. Founder Kamran Memon is a civil rights attorney in Chicago. Contact
312-961-2354, kamran@muslimsforasafeamerica.org.
BUDDHIST
• The Buddhist
Peace Fellowship has expressed support for Lt.
Ehren Watada, an Army officer who refused deployment to Iraq and faces
court-martial. Contact 510-655-6169.
• Claude Anshin Thomas is an author, peace activist, Zen monk and Vietnam
veteran who lives in Massachusetts. Contact 978-369-4342.
• Roshi Bernie Glassman heads the Massachusetts-based Zen
Peacemakers, which has chapters around the world. Contact 413-367-2080.
• The Dalai Lama said that too many lives had been lost in Iraq, according
to an Associated
Press story in the Sept. 26, 2006, San Jose Mercury News. In 2003,
before the invasion, he counseled
that human problems cannot be solved by fighting.
