WAR The war in Iraq turns 4: religion and ethics resources
March 19, 2007,
marks the fourth anniversary of the Iraq war, a conflict that has been steeped
in issues of religion, ethics and values from the start. Now, with public support
for the war diminishing, casualties rising, and a new Democratic congressional
majority pushing for change, those themes resonate more than ever in reporting
about the war. Stories can be told from the streets of Iraq to the halls of
Congress, from hospital beds to the communities where injured soldiers return,
from sanctuaries to the streets where people of faith are staging protests and
rallies. ReligionLink offers a guide to the issues and experts who can add perspective
to daily reporting about the war and its unwelcome fourth anniversary.
Attention to spiritual
support for troops has grown as the numbers have: More than 23,000 soldiers
have been injured, and 10,000 of those have been unable to return to military
duty. That support is directed both at those on the battlefield and those returning
home. Support programs are growing, particularly as an all-volunteer army has
required more use of National Guard and armed forces reserves. Around 20 percent
of the more than 140,000 American troops in Iraq are drawn from Guard and reserve
forces. In some cases, combat experience has physical and mental health consequences
long after a soldier's duty ends. Congregations, soldiers' families and soldiers
themselves all have stories to tell, while military chaplains have a unique
perspective from which to chronicle the role faith plays in wartime.
• Chaplain
Major John Morris of the Minnesota Army National Guard served in Iraq. He developed
Beyond
the Yellow Ribbon, a program to reintegrate returning soldiers into their
communities. Read/listen to an interview
with Morris on Speaking
of Faith. In his essay "Veteran
Ministry," Morris reminded churches that Jesus ministered to soldiers.
651-282-4085 (office), 651-775-8285 (cell), john.joseph.morris@us.army.mil.
• The
Maryland National Guard works with a network of churches to support guard members
and their families during and after active service. Read/view a Dec.
22, 2006, Religion & Ethics Newsweekly story about the program
Partners
in Care. Contact Maryland National Guard State Chaplain William Sean Lee,
410-576-6124.
• The
National Military Family Association
gave a Dec.
20, 2006, statement to the Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health
on advances and challenges in supporting service members and their families
during military deployment and upon return. Contact 800-260-0218.
• The
Evangelical Lutheran Church of America is among the denominations offering resources
for congregations to support military families. The ELCA maintains a Bureau
for Federal Chaplaincy Ministries. The Rev. Darrell Morton heads the bureau.
Contact 202-822-6414.
• The
International
Conference of War Veterans Ministers is an organization of veterans who
are also ministers who provide pastoral care for veterans. They have contacts
in a number of states. The Rev. Alan Cutter of Baton Rouge, La., is president.
Contact acutter@warveteranministers.org.
• The
Army offers Strong
Bonds, a chaplain-led support program for couples and families to strengthen
relationships. Contact Army Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Peter Frederich, 703-601-4448,
after clearance from Army public affairs, 703-692-2000.
• Kristen
Henderson is an author, Quaker and wife of a Navy chaplain. Her books include
While They're At War: The True Stories of American Families on the Homefront
(Houghton Mifflin, 2006). Contact through her publisher, taryn_roeder@hmco.com.
Americans' determination
to support troops during the Iraq war has brought greater attention to the nature
of injuries suffered by soldiers involved in the war. As with other wars, the
war in Iraq brings a signature injury: traumatic brain injury, caused by improvised
explosive devices (IEDs). Defense
Department figures from December 2006 show that 80 percent of 37,000 service
members evacuated from Middle East combat zones (Iraq and Afghanistan) for medical
reasons were either ill or sustained non-battle injuries. But it's also true
that many of those wounded in battle have experienced brain injury. The U.S.
Army Surgeon General says 64 percent of those injured in Iraq sustained injuries
from explosive blasts, a leading cause of traumatic brain injury. Brain injury
poses a major medical -- and spiritual - challenge. Mental health issues also
affect soldiers and new veterans. Here too, chaplains can play a role in helping
the injured and their families.
• Read
a Feb. 1, 2007, article from Government
Executive on the high incidence of brain injury - a "hidden wound"
occurring at a higher rate than in previous conflicts -- among those wounded
in Iraq.
• The
Defense and Veterans Brain Injury
Center is headquartered at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and operates
at eight
other sites in the country. Contact the center, 202-782-6345; Walter Reed
public affairs, 202-782-7177.
• Injured
soldiers also go to other centers for rehab, including: National
Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., which offers spiritual support
for all faiths. Contact public affairs, 301-295-5727.
• Brooke
Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, opened an Amputee
Care Center in 2005. For ministry and pastoral care, contact 210-916-1105.
• The
Rev. Robert Barry, a campus minister who teaches religious studies at St. Xavier
University in Chicago, received a Meritorious Service Medal for his work at
Landstuhl Hospital in Germany. Soldiers who have been seriously injured in Iraq
are usually taken there to be medically stabilized. Barry, a lieutenant in the
Illinois Air National Guard, will return there this summer for a third tour
of duty. Barry, who provides spiritual support for soldiers, their families
and staff, says he prays like he's never prayed before. Contact 773-298-3857,
rbarry@sxu.edu.
• Lawrence
G. Calhoun and Richard G. Tedeschi co-edited the Handbook of Posttraumatic
Growth - Research and Practice (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2006) and teach
psychology at University of North Carolina Charlotte. The psychology department
maintains a Web
site devoted to posttraumatic growth. They have studied the relationship
between posttraumatic growth and religion and have written about the positive
growth that traumatic experiences such as combat can bring. Contact Calhoun,
704-687-4744, lcalhounjr@uncc.edu;
Tedeschi, 704-687-4754, rtedesch@uncc.edu.
• A
U.S.
Army study done in 2005 of the mental health of soldiers in Iraq found that
14 percent were experiencing stress and 17 percent depression and anxiety.
• Veterans
facilities include chaplains. Find a local
veterans facility through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The
role of protest
Protest against
the Iraq war is growing in scope and frequency. Antiwar demonstrations took
place in Washington in September and January; more are scheduled for March to
mark the fourth anniversary of the war. The historic peace churches - Quakers,
Mennonites, Brethren - have always promoted pacifism in war time, but this time
individuals and members of many other denominations are joining in protests
that call for an end or change in military action. Journalists can help gauge
how much influence the protests have, how participation changes protesters'
views, and what kind of protests are most effective.
These protests
are occurring at a time when there is new openness to the role of religion in
politics, and those who have studied peace and protest movements can provide
perspective on how the current protests compare to those during the Vietnam
War and civil rights movement. Protest was particularly prominent during the
Vietnam era, but degrees of dissent have marked most major American military
actions. Antiwar dissent can be religiously motivated.
• Maurice
Isserman is a historian at Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., and co-author
of America Divided: The Civil War of the 1960s (Oxford University Press,
2003, 2nd ed.). He is regarded as one of the leading historians on the era.
Contact 315-859-4404, misserma@hamilton.edu.
• Steven
Nolt is a history professor at Goshen College in Goshen, Ind. He contributed
a section on peace movements to the Encyclopedia of Religion in American
Politics. Religious opposition to war is a minority perspective, he says,
although pacifism has acquired more legitimacy in the 20th century. Current
opposition is more practical than theological, he says. Contact 574-535-7460.
• Ronald
Pagnucco teaches peace studies at College of St. Benedict/St. John's University
in Collegeville, Minn. He has written a comparison of the politics of faith-based
and secular peace groups. Contact 320-363-5784.
• David
Greenberg teaches journalism and media studies at Rutgers the State University
of New Jersey. In a March
26, 2003, column in Slate, he said protest has been effective in
limiting or forestalling war. In the case of Iraq, however, facts about the
war rather than protest have helped sway public opinion, he says. Contact 732-932-7500
ext. 8178.
Noticing No's:
Conscientious objectors
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.
Each branch of
the armed forces processes its own requests for CO status. The Army - the largest
branch - has recorded 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 from 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.
Figures from the
U.S. Marines Public Affairs Office:
In 2003, 10 of 32 requests were rejected.
In 2004, 13 of 18 requests were rejected.
In 2005, all 3 requests received 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 several war resisters.
Contact 510-764-2073.
• 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 after he refused in September 2006 to
return to Iraq. He will be court-martialed March 6.
• A mistrial was declared Feb 7 in the court-martial of Army Lt. Ehren
Watada, who refused an order in June 2006 to go to Iraq. He is scheduled
for a new trial March 19.
• 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. Peace coalitions
that include many faith groups are planning anti-war activities nationally and
locally to mark 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. Religious activists used them in a demonstration
in a U.S. Senate office building in September that led to 71 arrests. Training
in nonviolence is being offered as part of the runup to the March demonstrations.
RESOURCES
• Christian
Peace Witness for Iraq, a coalition of 25 Christian religious groups, plans
to hold a March 16 service in Washington National Cathedral, followed by a candlelight
procession to the White House. Plans for civil disobedience are being considered.
Local events are also planned. Contact Dan Nejfelt (NI-FELT), 202-745-4654 (office),
573-823-5123 (cell).
• Declaration
of Peace, a campaign begun in 2006 by religious and secular peace groups,
has called for withdrawal of troops and an end to funding for them. 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. The group
is also mobilizing national and local activities for the weekend of March 16-19.
Contact in Chicago, 773-777-7858.
• Gordon Clark is convener of the National
Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance. Contact 301-589-2355.
• The Chicago-based activist Voices
for Creative Nonviolence has organized the Occupation
Project, a campaign of nonviolent civil disobedience targeting the offices
of elected representatives in a number of areas. Group coordinator Kathy
Kelly, who has visited Iraq 24 times since 1996, has received numerous peacemaking
awards from religious groups. Contact 773-878-3815.
• The United for
Peace and Justice Coalition includes a number of religious groups.
Rights
of detainees, prisoners under scrutiny
The war in Iraq
and the war on terror in general have challenged government policy on detainees
and prisoners. The government has struggled to balance the need for security
in a post-9/11 world with the rights of suspects. That's led legislators, human
rights activists and religious leaders to press for reform. On Feb. 13, a group
of U.S. senators introduced legislation that would restore the right of habeas
corpus to detainees and narrow the definition of "enemy combatant."
Concerns about detainees' rights heightened after the Abu Ghraib prison abuses
came to light in April 2004 and after complaints about the treatment of suspects
in the U.S. and at Guantanomo Bay.
• Read a Feb.
13, 2007, Washington Post story about the proposed legislation.
• For sources and background, see the ReligionLink issue, "The
torture debate: Religious opposition two years after Abu Ghraib" (April
17, 2006).
Attitudes
toward Islam
The Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks and the war in Iraq have brought attitudes toward Islam into sharp focus.
While stories and polls have often focused on Americans' attitudes toward Muslims
and Islam, a new concern has emerged: tensions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims
and their potential to inspire violence in the U.S. Most Americans don't understand
the difference between the two major branches of Islam and why they result in
deadly conflict overseas. A number of recent articles are good starting points
for reporters who want to explore the relationship between Sunnis and Shiites
in their own area:
• See
a Feb.
22, 2007, Time magazine article on the Sunni-Shiite divide, posted
by Faith in Public Life.
• A
Feb.
15, 2007, Reuters article posted by Faith in Public Life looks at tensions
between Sunni and Shiite Muslims in the United States.
• A
Feb.
4, 2007, New York Times story explores how Sunni-Shiite tensions
play out in the United States.
• The
Christian Science Monitor posts an article
about the differences between Sunni and Shiite Muslims.
• An
Oct.
17, 2006, New York Times op-ed found that most government officials
don't know the difference between a Sunni and a Shiite Muslim.
• Pollingreport.com
posts polls
about attitudes toward Islam.
• The
Pew Global Attitudes Project has a number of polls
on attitudes about Muslims and of Muslims.
• For
expert sources, consult the ReligionLink issue "Islam:
a guide to U.S. experts and organizations."
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.
Anticipating
Iran
Religious activists
have begun a campaign to pre-empt possible military action against Iran.
RESOURCES
• Several Christian
religious leaders visited Iran in mid-February to meet with officials there,
including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to press for greater diplomacy and
Iranian compliance with nuclear capabilities deadlines. Contact through Mennonite
Central Committee, 717-859-1151 ext. 282, 717-333-2826 (cell).
• Words
Not War 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 through Alex Howe, 202-822-5200.
• Faithful Security
is a partner in the Words Not War campaign. Contact 800-233-6786, info@faithfulsecurity.org.
Crafting
a message for troops
With more than
150,000 troops stationed overseas, a stateside army of volunteers has popped
up to provide them with everything from phone cards to body armor. Many donor
groups are religiously based, coming out of well-organized ministries, grass-roots
efforts among individual congregations, and groups of friends. Quite a few of
these groups are sending handmade items - teddy bears, rosaries, prayer beads,
cards, food, blankets and more - with the hope that something made by the hand
bears more of the spirit of the maker and can form a deeper connection with
the receiver. Many of these handmade items also come with a religious message
- a CD with a sermon, a booklet with suggested prayers and Bible readings.
• The Right
Reverend George E. Packard is the Bishop Suffragan for Chaplaincies for the
Episcopal Church. He is in charge of all Episcopal chaplains attached to the
armed services. He describes the rosaries, prayer beads and medals soldiers
carry into battle as "companion object[s] which God uses to heighten moments
of insight, prayer, and sometimes deep sorrow." Contact 212-716-6202, gpackard@episcopalchurch.org.
• The Prayer Bear Ministry of Sherman, Texas, solicits small donations
from people to make simple fabric teddy bears for shipment to servicemen and
women at home and abroad. Last year, the ministry sent more than 20,000 bears
to Iraq and Afghanistan. Each bear is prayed over as it is made and has a silver
tear, to represent the tears of Christ on the cross, and a gold cross, to represent
the light of God. The ministry was founded by Terry Krawitz, an Episcopalian,
after the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Contact 903-893-4026, prayerbears@prayerbears.org.
• Many chapters of the Prayer Quilt Ministry make small patches of patriotic
fabric to send to soldiers overseas. The patches are constructed of patriotic
fabric and are held together with ties that are knotted by the makers as they
say prayers for the soldiers. Contact Kathy Cueva, president of the Prayer Quilt
Ministry, prayerquiltpres@cox.net.
• Some people are making hand-knotted rosaries for distribution to Catholic
soldiers. Clo Lillig accepts such rosaries for Rosaries for Soldiers in Carmel,
Ind. Catholics in the Military of Fort Royal, Va., collects black hand-knotted
rosaries.
• The prayer beads ministry at Trinity Episcopal Church in Bethlehem, Pa.,
makes Anglican prayer beads for wide distribution, including to soldiers and
AIDS hospice workers in Swaziland. Contact Gaby Whittier, 610-867-4741, gaby@trinitybeth.org.
• Soldiers' Angels offers kits to make "blankets of hope" to
send to soldiers overseas. It was founded by Patti Patton-Bader when her eldest
son went to Iraq. Contact 615-676-0239, soldiersangels@gmail.com.
• Sew Much Comfort is a volunteer nonprofit group that sews adaptive clothing
for veterans who have lost limbs. Seamstresses volunteer from all over the country.
Efforts are coordinated by regional contacts. Contact Ginger Dosedel, ginger@sewmuchcomfort.org.
• The Itty-Bitty-Bakery of Richlands, N.C., offers "Mustard Seed Pins"
of military figures, each containing a mustard seed. The creator was inspired
by Matthew 17:19-20 when her husband was deployed to Iraq. She suggests that
purchasers send pins to those deployed overseas as a reminder of their faith.
Contact 910-324-4478, admin@itty-bitty-bakery.com.
• The 92nd Street YMHA (Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association)
in New York, N.Y., held a "Mitzvah Days" workshop for children ages
5-10 where they constructed tzedakah, or charity, boxes, complete with handmade
cards and other items, for soldiers overseas. The project was to be an example
of tikkun olam, the Jewish mandate to repair the world. Contact Beverly Greenfield,
media relations, 212-415-5452.
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 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. John Carr is secretary of the Bishops' Department of Social
Development and World Peace, 202-541-3181.
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
http://erlc.com/ 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.
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 has consistently spoken
out for peace in Iraq. 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.
• Some Protestant church leaders oppose President Bush's troop surge in
Iraq. See a Feb.
6, 2007, Christian Century article.
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.
• Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious
Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington, D.C., said Feb. 2, 2007 in
the Jewish
Daily Forward that Iraq demonstrates the limits of American power and
called for more Jewish community involvement on Iraq policy. Contact 202-387-2800.
• The executive committee of the Union for Reform Judaism 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, whose court-martial for refusing deployment to Iraq ended in a mistrial
Feb. 7 A new trial is scheduled for March 19. 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.
