The American-led war with Iraq has begun. Over the past six months, tens of millions of people, including church bodies and leaders from all over the world, undertook a powerful campaign to stop this war ant offered serious alternatives to confront the real threats posed by Saddam Hussein. But now the fighting and killing have begun.
Nobody should be surprised that a vastly superior American fighting force, will vanquish a vastly inferior Iraqi army. But one of America's worst characteristics is hoping that success wipes away all the moral questions. In the long run, it won't. War is always ugly.Modern warfare has caused many more civilian casualties than military. Smart bombs are never as perfect as boasted, and not all Iraqis may want to be "liberated" by an American occupation. Above all, we must remember that "collateral damage" is never collateral to the families and loved ones of those killed in war. Don't accept the first reports on casualties from governments (on either side) or "embedded" journalists, many of whom now sound more like cheerleaders than reporters. Be sure that technology will not ultimately usurp theology or morality. Find alternative sources for information. Watch and wait for the real story.For an independent database of civilian casualties in Iraq, If an evil, dangerous, and unpopular regime does collapse quickly, that is not an endorsement of war as the answer, but a sign that a better way to resolve the threat might well have been possible. The best wisdom of most all church leaders, former Nobel Peace laureates, and a majority of international political figures and diplomats around the world was that alternatives to a full-scale military assault on Iraq were not adequately tried, and that this was not a war of last resort.
A pre-emptive war of choice, rather than of necessity, fought against overwhelming world opinion and United Nations disapproval will not create an atmosphere of cooperation for post-war reconstruction nor, most significantly, for the crucial international collaboration needed to defeat the real threats of terrorism. A new world order based on unilateral rather than multilateral action, military power over international law, and the sole decisions of the world's last remaining superpower over the deliberations of the community of nations will not create a framework the world can or should trust for peace.Unresolved injustices like the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, feudal Arab regimes protected by oil, and globalization policies that systematically give advantage to wealthy nations over poor countries and people remain root causes of violence and will not be overcome by the imposition of American military superiorityDissent in a time of war is not only Christian, it is also patriotic. A long and honourable record of opposition to war in church tradition and American history puts dissent in the mainstream of Christian life and American citizenship. Rather than acquiesce with the start of war, prayerful and thoughtful dissent will become more important that everThe churches have demonstrated the most remarkable unity in our history in opposition to a war, even before the war with Iraq started. In the eleventh hour, the American churches didn't just say "no" to war, but offered compelling and credible alternatives that were seriously considered by many political leaders around the world, but not by the U.S.
An American president who increasingly uses the language of Christian faith refused even to meet with American church leaders for discernment and prayer as he made momentous decisions to go to war. We must learn to be Christians first and Americans second.The onset of war with Iraq does not demonstrate the failure of the peace movement, but rather the failure of democracy. Tens of millions of people around the world have become engaged in active citizenship against the policies of pre-emptive war for resolving the greatest threats to peace and security. It is time to build on that movement, rather than withdraw from collective action. We must learn the differences between grief and despair, between lament and languishing, between hope and hostility. We are stronger now, not weaker. Our action has just begun. Thank you for reading. A post done by a friend.