LIFE, LOVE & TRUTH

An open letter to my pacifist brothers & sisters
(with an appeal from history – coincidentally shared on Pearl Harbor Day)

Last week our nation learned that President Obama decided to increase U.S. troops significantly in Afghanistan. Our primary goal is to secure that country’s fledgling democracy against Taliban aggression, and head-off a return to Taliban totalitarianism.

I support the President’s plan because it addresses the realities we face in the world. The U.S. is still at risk of attack by terrorists who use Islam as their pretext for killing anyone who won’t bow to their self-proclaimed authority, and Afghanistan is central to their operations. The President has access to far more sources of reliable intelligence than other Americans, and I must trust his judgment on the necessity of deploying more troops. After all, he was elected by a majority of voters to serve as our Commander in Chief.

If this were my only message, I could stop writing right now. But there is more…

Sound and Fury – From Every Corner
Since the troops announcement, I’ve read and heard fellow citizens from all sides of the table criticizing President Obama.

I’m not here to defend past, present or future tactics or strategies – or the value of our actions there. Instead, I’ll leave that to the White House, the Vice President, the Secretary of State, and Secretary of Defense (who unanimously support the current policy).

Why War? A Christian Perspective on Good & Evil
What interests me most is the underlying argument against the Afghan War itself – or against any war at all. This is the crux of the issue: Is war ever really necessary? Can it ever be justified?

Many Americans – Christian and non-Christian alike (Buddhists, Friends, Mennonites and others) – feel that war is never morally justified. They turn to New Testament scriptures where Jesus urges us to “turn the other cheek” or where St. Paul tells Roman Christians to “overcome evil with good.” As a Christian myself, I have great sympathy for this guidance. I grew up in a church youth group that often sang the popular song, “Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me…” I wish it were that simple.

I have great admiration for Mahatma Gandhi and his advocacy of nonviolent resistance. His views are consistent with the American Amish, who feel self-defense is never justified.

The Christian Church has struggled with the question of war almost since its beginning. The Gospel includes stories of Jesus speaking to Roman soldiers, and even healing the servant of a Roman military officer. St. Peter and St. Paul both write to Christians, encouraging them to obey the Roman laws of the state, indicating that government rightly maintains the power to execute justice by the sword. Yet first-century Christian bishops often urged their followers not to join the Roman army, and were mostly pacifistic in their own writings.

When Christianity became the official religion of Rome some 300 years after Jesus’ death, the relationship between church and state changed dramatically, and the Church began to change its opinion of war. St. Augustine wrote a defense of the necessity of war – although he fell short of calling it a Christian duty or suggesting that the Church would be morally right to support it. This has since become known as the “just war” theory, which maintains that war is necessary to provide relief only when oppression or injustice are present. In short, unfortunately, sometimes war is an appropriate solution.

Much can be said about human nature, conflict, and the necessity of war, but I’ll merely state the obvious. People can be very evil at times, and since the beginning of recorded history, war has been part of human events. Philosophers, kings, religious leaders – most agree that war is bad, and should be avoided at all costs. Innocent people die, human industry and innovation is destroyed, and even animals suffer. No rational person should want it.

Of course, if people were always rational, the world would have fewer problems! What we should fear is not the rational, but the irrational – hatred, envy, selfish ambition – these are the seeds of most human cruelty, including war. The war in Afghanistan is no exception. Taliban terrorists seek power and profit by ruling others.

Who Benefits from War?
I realize there are believers, both in America and beyond, who feel that this war (albeit most wars) are driven by the financial interests of the rich and powerful. Corporations benefit from the costs and plunders of war – this has always been the case. Believers who rightly despise the abuse of power and privilege often feel wars exist only to serve those elite few. However, it is the poor, disadvantaged and disenfranchised who suffer the most, and often also gain the most from war’s outcomes.

The liberation of Jews from Nazi oppression is a case in point. The Nazis didn’t kill Jews exclusively – they also killed millions of Christians, including those who dared to oppose them or assist the Jews. In my opinion, the tactics of admirable pacifists such as Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr. would have landed them in concentration camps, where they would have been killed. The Nazis tolerated no resistance whatsoever – therefore only force could overcome that regime.

For example, consider Lutheran pastor and theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Nazi brutality so horrified him that he actively resisted his native German government. He was hung for treason as part of a conspiracy to kill Adolph Hitler. Bonhoeffer rightly concluded that to sit back and allow evil to continue unchecked was equally evil – a conspiracy of silence. His conscience led him to help smuggle Jews out of the country, and he encouraged other Germans to thwart Nazi progress. If Allied Forces hadn’t joined the fight, Jews might have been eliminated from Europe entirely.

Similarly, imagine the plight of American slaves, had there been no Civil War. We could have been living with slavery to this day. Thankfully, we’ll never know.

Of course, one of war’s greatest achievements was the birth of America itself – for without our Revolution we would still be subjects of the British Empire. Concepts essential to our government might not otherwise exist. For example, separation of church and state is important to a modern democracy – and our tax code supports this separation. Yet, across most of Europe, taxes pay for official state churches, be it Roman Catholic, Orthodox Catholic, Lutheran, or the Church of England. Our Revolution set the stage for religious freedom and tolerance. And as I see it, our Revolution led the way in solidifying human rights to which Europe and the rest of the world aspire.

So – although war certainly unleashes tragedy and hardship, it also has the capacity to help humanity advance. Perhaps at times, it’s even necessary for progress, when those in control refuse to share their power or relinquish it peacefully.

Political philosopher Karl Marx recognized this. He envisioned a classless utopian society, believing it could be achieved only through violent class struggle. So he advocated that those without power seize it by force — through revolution. (Theologically, some Christians share this vision, and many Catholics have lost their lives trying to help the poor who in many countries are oppressed by the rich.)

Choosing War – Neither Clear nor Easy
In reality, there is no clear answer about the need for war. Even among Christians, there’s a spectrum of opinions about whether and when war is necessary or right. I’m familiar with writings from several other faiths. I cannot quote Jewish philosophers or Taoist writings, but I’m sure they exist. However, I am familiar with a story from the Hindu Bhagavad Gita, where the Lord Krishna encourages warrior Aruna to follow his destiny by fighting his own kindred. Aruna fights and is victorious because he is on the side of righteousness.

As the warrior philosopher, Jeff Cooper, eloquently said, “An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it.”

I add a verse from our National Anthem – it is the last part of the last verse: “Then conquer we must, if our cause it is just, and this be our motto, ‘In God Is Our Trust.’ Then the Star Spangled Banner, O long may it wave, O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!”

Let’s Talk – But Let’s Not Forget the High Road
I’m sure many of my brothers and sisters will disagree with me on this complex and challenging issue. That’s expected. In fact, I fight for your right to disagree, and to express your opinions freely. However, all I ask for is a level of civility. I promise that if I disagree with you, I won’t call you names. I won’t assume you’re stupid or ignorant, simply because our opinions don’t align. I won’t accuse you of some ulterior motive or moral bankruptcy or lack of will or caring.

I ask you to afford me (and others who agree with me) the same regard. We may disagree, but we’re still common citizens of this country – and as fellow believers, we owe each other respect. Whatever we choose to believe about war in Afghanistan or elsewhere, we should recognize that God wants us to respect and understand one another.

While on the subject Afghanistan, I urge all Americans, regardless of their faith, to pray for a speedy resolution of that conflict. I pray regularly for peace, for an end to violence there. I also pray for the poor, the hopeless, the oppressed, for women and children who have almost no rights. I pray for wisdom and enlightenment where there is ignorance and misunderstanding. I pray for a new level of health and prosperity. And I pray for a new birth of freedom. I pray this not only for Afghans in need, but also for Americans, and for others around world. It may be an unrealistic prayer – but then hope is irrational, and God exists beyond the bounds of logic and reason.

I’m sure this plea won’t silence the President’s critics. Nor will it convert pacifists to enlist in the military. But, of course, that’s not the goal. Instead, I offer my comments to add depth to the discussion. Every opinion contributes to the dialogue – and hopefully leads to a clearer truth. My hope is simply to enlighten those who feel no reasonable American Christian could support President Obama’s decision. I would describe myself as a reasonable person, and I do in fact support his choice.

Jeff

(To discover what it’s like for a simple Christian soldier to offer humanitarian aid and protection to desperately poor, oppressed Afghan people, I invite you to read my book, “AFGHAN JOURNAL: A Soldier’s Year in Afghanistan.” Learn more at the Afghan Journal website. Or order it at Amazon.com.)