Seminary professors blast war as immoral

Urge troops to refuse participation.

By: Jeff Milgram
   Calling the war in Iraq a "sin of the highest order," five Princeton Theological Seminary professors urged churches and churchgoers to oppose the invasion by nonviolent resistance, including encouraging U.S. troops to refuse to fight.
   "We appeal to all Christians: Put your faith in Jesus Christ above your loyalty to the nation, because today faith demands a higher loyalty and patriotism means dissent," the five said at a press conference Tuesday at the seminary. The professors’ statement, "An Urgent Appeal to the Churches," announced their campaign for religious resistance to the war.
   "We call upon all churches and all individual Christians to refuse their consent to this war. We call them to nonviolent resistance, rejecting actions that violate moral law," the statement said.
   "We urge all U.S. military personnel, especially those who are Christians, to conscientious objection — to refuse to participate in this immoral war," the appeal said. It also urges military chaplains to speak out against the war and encourage the troops who come to them for guidance to oppose the war.
   "This war runs great risks that are not worth the cost," the appeal said.
   The five professors, all ministers, come from Presbyterian, Baptist and United Church of Christ denominations.
   The appeal, written by Princeton Theological Seminary theology professor George Hunsinger, was first published in the current issue of "Sojourners" magazine and signed by about 20 theologians across the country.
   Mark L. Taylor, professor of theology and culture, said President George W. Bush invokes "a divine right or blessing for his war."
   "We’re here today to issue an urgent appeal to U.S. churches that they not trade in the integrity of Christian faith for a Christianized, wartime patriotism," said Dr. Taylor.
   "I would like to see more churches participate in anti-war" demonstrations, Dr. Taylor said.
   Dr. Hunsinger said the war was unnecessary, unjustified and illegal.
   "Every death in this war is an unnecessary death, because the war is an unnecessary war," he said. "Every death in this war is unjustified, because the war is unjustified. Most troubling of all, every death in this war is criminal, because the war is a crime of aggression."
   Dr. Hunsinger castigated the government for comparing Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to Adolf Hitler.
   "We support the troops by saying they should be brought home now … and not before they come home in body bags," Dr. Hunsinger said.
   He said an overwhelming majority of Christian ethicists believe the war lacks legal or moral justification. Recent polls have shown that more than two-thirds of all Americans, many presumably Christians, back the war.
   "One should not presume you can solve moral issues by polls," said Peter J. Paris, professor of Christian social ethics.
   "The war does not make us any safer. … We are in more danger of terrorism," said Luis N. Rivera-Pagan, professor of ecumenics and mission. "It has become painfully evident that the government of the United States never gave peace a chance. It always conceived war as the means to project globally its immense military power and to control the Middle East reserves of oil."
   He said the United States may be planning to attack Iran next.
   "This is the moment to express in a firm and clear way our prophetic word: The war of the United States against Iraq is immoral, illegal and sinful. It must cease — immediately," he said.
   Dr. Paris came out against all wars.
   "It is not an easy thing to speak out against a war in which our sons and daughters have been called to face the threat of death and other severe casualties on the battlefield," he said. "Yet, I feel compelled to say I am in opposition to this war on Iraq and every other possible war that I can imagine."
   Dr. Hunsinger said more people have died in the wars of the 20th century than in all previous wars. "That means that any war would have to meet a high standard of justification," he said.
   Dr. Paris said those who support the war are using "faulty thinking."
   "When have populations ever welcomed puppet governments?" he asked. "What internal struggle for justice demands and justifies the military assaults of our coalition forces? Why would a country that has been blockaded for 10 years welcome its blockaders as liberators? Who says that we who have twice used weapons of mass destruction have the moral advantage to secure the world? Who says that the conditions of terrorism can be defeated by a pre-emptive war? Who says that our nation should go to war in opposition to world opinion? Alas, the answers to all of these questions are provided by the official voice of the world’s premier superpower who, in its arrogance, listens only to itself and those whose loyalty it has purchased."
   Deborah van Deusen Hunsinger, an associate professor of pastoral theology, said several American diplomats have resigned because of the war and that veterans’ groups and organizations of Sept. 11 survivors have expressed their opposition to the war.
   Like the biblical prophets, some of the participants girded themselves for a fight against a war they see as evil.
   "This is no time for feel-good religion," Dr. Hunsinger said. "This is a time of courage."