No Matter What the Church Does NOT say, The War is Still a Moral Issue!

Wendy and I have recently returned from Australia, a nation that has a lot going for it. The average income per couple is over $100,000 per year--and there are few enormous incomes which might distort that statistic. What is more, nobody needs to worry about health care, the costs of education or what will happen to them when they grow older. Not pouring hundreds of billions each year into a military machine has made possible these more human options.

While there we followed the Olympics on TV. That nation of 20 million earned more medals than any other country--given the size of its population. Four times as many as the 300 million from which we could choose our athletes.

There were distressing moments. While it didn't show on US TV, when on the opening night the athletes paraded into the Bird's Nest, the US delegation was greeted with boos as well as with cheers. OUCH! A government official asked all Aussie athletes, and others from down under, to wear something identifying their nationality so "they would not be mistaken for Americans." DOUBLE OUCH!

The Prime Minister was recently tossed out of office, not even surviving in his own own constituency. A major issue was the war in Iraq. His support of Bush left him nicknamed "Weed." Under the new government, Australian troops have gone home for good.

Now we are back in California to be confronted by a nation where an immoral war has become a secondary issue--at best. The conflict seems less important than the price of gasoline. We have been reduced to discovering how to get out of what we never should have gotten into.

What about the Disciples of Christ? Is the rape and occupation of a nation that did not and could not have attacked us a moral concern? Heavens, let's not have to take a position! We seem determined to eliminate all such uncomfortable matters from the agendas of our national meetings. This includes not only the war, but also torture, capital punishment, gun control---on and on and on. It might be this and it might be that, and since the denomination has within it people with various opinions, it behooves us to say nothing. It seems that a rather important Oklahoma congregation objected to the statement on the war passed at last summer's General Assembly. The leadership's panic was immediate. I have dealt with that in a published letter in the DisciplesWorld and in a prior blog column. But there is more to the story.

The Assembly resolution called for our General Minister and President to convey the adopted message to our congregations--and beyond. I have recently read her pastoral epistle. It is indeed pastoral. Any prophetic word or faithfulness to the resolution was smothered in support of those in the military, those who have lost loved ones in the war, and most of all, to the the chaplains, whose job is to take care of the troops. While all of that is appropriate, it is not an honest interpretation of the resolution. Indeed, it is to back off from its impact. So from the perspective of the GMP, we cannot--as a Church--criticize the war lest other congregations like the one in Oklahoma be offended. My guess is that GMP Watkins' cautious position will carry the day, and next summer's General Assembly will end our having to decide on anything larger than how to to fix our tired administrative structure.

There are those of us who will have to decide how to spend our time, energies and resources. Engaging in a denominational fight or even participating in future gatherings devoid of the clear imperatives of our faith will probably not be among the options . I wonder if we, the clergy and the lay leadership of our churches, have not only taken the war, as well as other critical issues, off the agenda, but have also settled for a religious perspective which says, "it might be this or it might be that--and what does it matter anyhow?

But that's just my opinion. What is yours?

To read Sense-of-the-Assembly Resolution 0728 on 'The Church's Response to the War in Iraq,' PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To read more about the General Minister and President's 'Pastoral Letter on the War in Iraq,' PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To read more about the resolutions controversy, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To join the hundreds of thousands of people who have signed the Statement Against the War, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To find out more about DJAN, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To support the justice ministry of DJAN, PLEASE CLICK HERE.