What do others say
about conscientious objection?
"If
it is right to honor those who served in the cause of war, then it is equally
right to honor those who served in the cause of resistance to war."
--Samuel H. Day Jr., May, 2000"
See Mark
Twain’s writing called The War Prayer at
What do Christians
and the Bible say?
The Bible has thousands of verses concerning war and peace. Here
are some of the main themes as summarized with permission of author, Ben
Richmond, from the Friends United Meeting pamphlet titled, A Guide for Friends on Conscientious Objection to War.
What do Christians and the Bible
say?
What do other
faith traditions say?
·
The
Koran
(Chapter 5, Verse 32) “If anyone kills an innocent person, it is as if they
kill all humanity, and if anyone saves an innocent life, it as if they save all
humanity.”
·
In
reacting to the events of September 11, 2001, the Dalai Lama said, “To us [Buddhist
thinkers] the reasons are clear. We have not learned the most basic human
lessons. We have not remembered the most basic human truths. We have not
understood the most basic spiritual wisdom. In short, we have not been
listening to God, and because we have not, we watch ourselves do ungodly things.
The message we hear from all sources of truth is clear: We are all one. That is
a message the human race has largely ignored. Forgetting this truth is the only
cause of hatred and war, and the way to remember is simple: Love, [in] this and
every moment.
·
Episcopalian Peace Fellowship: In loyalty to the person, teaching and Lordship of
Jesus Christ, my conscience commits me to His way of redemptive love: to pray,
study, and work for peace, and to renounce participation in war, militarism,
and all other forms of violence. In fellowship with others of like mind, I will
work to discover and practice alternatives to violence in the resolution of
conflicts. I urge the Episcopal Church in accordance with our baptismal vows,
"to renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the
creatures of God" and to wage peace across all boundaries, calling upon
people everywhere to repent, to forgive, and to love.
·
The
Jewish
tradition teaches:
Thou Shalt Not Kill. (The Decalogue: Sixth Commandment)
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall
they learn war anymore. (Isaiah 2:4)
They shall sit, each one under his vine and his fig trees,
and none shall make them afraid. (Micah 4:4)
One person alone was brought forth at the time of creation
in order to teach us that one who destroys a single human soul is regarded as
the destroyer of the whole world, while one who preserves a single human soul
is regarded as the preserver of the whole world. (Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5)
Just to be is a blessing
Just to live is holy.
(Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel)
·
Lutheran
Peace Fellowship: As Christians, we know that we do not have to rely on human
efforts alone to stem the tide of violence. We know a God who chooses life over
death, who raised Jesus from the dead in the ultimate act against violence.
When the Roman officials gave the spiral of violence one more spin, Jesus did
not die on the cross to become a martyr whose disciples would seek revenge for
his death. Rather, he was raised to life in order to show that God reigns
beyond all death and violence. God counteracts violence and death in the world
by upholding life. www.LutheranPeace.org/
·
Lutheran
Pastor Laura Holck of
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