Posted on 10/22/2004 8:18:48 AM PDT by areafiftyone
Conference Call: 200 Christian Theologians and Ethicists Question the Nation's "Theology of War" and the Ethics of War on Terrorism
To: Assignment Desk, Daybook Editor, Religion Reporter
Contact: Deryl Davis, 202-328-8842 ext. 214 or ddavis@sojo.net, Deanna Murshed, 202-328-8842 ext. 257 or dmurshed@sojo.net both of Sojourners
News Advisory:
As the debate over the war on terrorism continues, 200 Christian theologians and ethicists today issued a new "Confession." Because of a deep and growing concern about an emerging national "theology of war," the increasingly frequent language of "righteous empire," and official claims of "divine appointment" for a nation in a "war" on terrorism, more than 200 seminary and college professors have signed "Confessing Christ in a World of Violence."
A media conference call with the initiators of the confession will be held today at 2 p.m. EDT on 866-865-2701, Code: 104238
Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners, explained: "A climate in which violence is too easily accepted, and the roles of God, church, and nation too easily confused, calls for a new confession of Christ. No nation-state may usurp the place of God." The statement identifies five points that are central for followers of Jesus, and rejections of the current teachings that nullify those points.
The key points of the confession are:
-- Jesus Christ knows no national boundaries. We reject the false teaching that any nation-state can ever be described with the words, "the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it."
-- Christ commits Christians to a strong presumption against war. We reject the false teaching that a war on terrorism takes precedence over ethical and legal norms.
-- Christ commands us to see not only the splinter in our adversary's eye, but also the beam in our own. We reject the false teaching that America is a "Christian nation," representing only virtue.
-- Christ shows us that enemy-love is the heart of the gospel. We reject the false teaching that any human being can be defined as outside the law's protection.
-- Christ teaches us that humility is the virtue befitting forgiven sinners. We reject the false teaching that those who are not for the United States politically are against it.
The statement concludes: "When the church is in danger of being co-opted by a theology of nationalism and militarism, we must faithfully confess Christ. We believe that peacemaking is central to our vocation in a troubled world where Christ is Lord."
The full statement and list of more than 200 signers is available online at: http://www.sojo.net/petition/signers
The statement was initiated by Richard B. Hays, Duke Divinity School; George Hunsinger, Princeton Theological Seminary; Richard V. Pierard, Gordon College; Caryn D. Riswold, Illinois College; Glen Stassen, Fuller Theological Seminary; and Jim Wallis, Sojourners.
Signers come from a broad spectrum of schools, including Fuller Theological Seminary, Duke Divinity School, Princeton Theological Seminary, Gordon College, Wheaton College, Calvin College, Hope College, Harvard Divinity School, North Park Seminary, Asbury Theological Seminary, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries, Baylor University, Westmont College, Pepperdine University, Candler School of Theology, Interdenominational Theological Consortium, Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Southern Methodist University, Union Theological Seminary, and numerous others.
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Sojourners is a voice and vision for social change and publisher of award-winning Sojourners magazine, SojoMail e-zine, and www.sojo.net Web site. Founded in 1971 asa faith-based organization, Sojourners provides an alternative perspective on faith, politics, and culture through its monthly magazine, e-mail services, Web site, media commentaries, and public events. Ecumenical and progressive, Sojourners lifts up the biblical connection between social justice and spiritual renewal and nurtures community by bringing together people from the various traditions and streams of the church. Sojourners also hosts an annual program of voluntary service now in its twenty-first year.
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/© 2004 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
These guys are not real Christians anyway.
These are liberal "christians". The five points are not in any way in line with what my church teaches.
Well the scripture lawyers need some attention as well.
They don't even understand history. That is not why America is called a Christian nation.
1 Blessed be the LORD my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:
I believe C.S. Lewis addressed this issue better than anyone 60 some years ago in the context of WWII. All the points made in this article have been refuted a long time ago.
Only a "theologian" unlettered in Greek could make this mistake.
In Greek there is a specific term for a personal enemy (echthros) and another for a military one (antikemai).
The Gospels use the word "echthros" in the sense of a personal enemy - someone with whom we have a personal quarrel, animosity, etc.
In terms of a military adversary it's not a personal matter - it's a matter of one's family's and country's survival. It is not an act of love to refrain from destroying someone who is trying to kill your family. In fact, such restraint is an act of hatred or indifference toward the people whom you have a responsibility to love and honor.
We reject the false teaching that any human being can be defined as outside the law's protection.
Nowhere in Scripture or in traditional Christianity does there exist a notion that all individuals are entitled to legal protection. In fact, the Old Testament expressly assumes the opposite is true and the New Testament does not make any claim to refute the Old Tetsament position.
Terrorists are, legally speaking, spies and according to the laws of both God and man they can be put to death without benefit of legal process.
This is nothing more than the continuance of the decline of our nation's seminaries (or rather "cemeteries"), which is a good thing.
How would these people have had us respond on 9-11? Should we have given the terrorists another airliner or two full of innocents to crash into more buildings? They seem to ignore that the Islamo-fascists want to bring an end to Christianity...if they succeed there will be no "no world where Christ is Lord." Had we listened to people like this in WW-II we would have beening singing kumbayas on the way to the gas chambers.
This is still America, right? They don't need your approval before expressing their opinion.
Excellent points. But this is the kind of stuff that is frequently (intentionally or otherwise) overlooked, resulting in a misrepresentation of biblical teachings.
Areafiftyone neither stated nor implied that such approval was required. Areafiftyone was simply asserting the right to opine that these theologians are a disgrace and that their document is an intellectual and moral embarrassment.
I didn't say one thing about them needing my approval. I implied that Leftists love the idea that the so-called christian conservatives are against Bush's war (as they call it). The Leftists get their jollies off of this stuff.
Thank you.
Who the heck asked you for your opinion anyway!
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I was simply responding to this comment, knowing that it was rhetorical on your part, but still just a gentle reminder that differences of opinion are still allowed.
It matters not who they are or how one gets their "jollies".
Right.
They AREN'T Christians. Christianity has never been interperted as not supporting the right of the individual or state to protect and defend itself - no religion worthy of the name is a suicide pact.
Furthermore, these same scripture twisting hypocrits probably approve of gay marriage, ordination of homosexual clerics, murdering babies in the womb and other horrific and un-Biblical heresies which would have astounded both Reformation and Counter-Reformation Churches in the 1500's and 1600's.
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