Ministers agree on one aspect of U.S.-Iraq war: It’s time to pray
Like many Americans, Bishop Anthony G. Bosco is perplexed when considering the possibility of war with Iraq. “Sometimes, you say the situation is so sticky that the only thing you can do is get on your knees and pray,’ said Bishop Bosco, the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg, which includes Fayette County. “Will the war on Iraq be a just war? I have to tell you that some days I say yes, and some days I say no. I don’t have enough information. I would like to see the situation resolved diplomatically, but disputes between nations are like disputes between individuals. When a husband and wife have problems, you like to see them reconcile, but if one party doesn’t want reconciliation, forget it. You’re not going to get anywhere, and is that where we are?’
Like other religious leaders throughout the district, Bishop Bosco said he’s praying for a peaceful solution, but he cited many complications.
Among them are the unanswered questions surrounding a possible war with Iraq, including whether Iraq poses a real threat to the United States. And, while countries can wage just wars because they have an obligation to protect their citizenry, wars of aggression usually are not just, the bishop said.
“Many theologians have a difficult time in a war like this,” he said. “It makes this situation difficult, because Saddam Hussein at present looks more like a potential aggressor than a real one. Is he a threat?
“Just war goes way back in Catholic teaching, but there were no weapons of mass destruction, then. It’s a whole new picture.”
Other complications, the bishop said, are the fact that the war on terrorism is not against a particular sovereign nation, but an international group, and some people ask if every diplomatic resolution has been reached.
“Catholic theology is still debating the morality of the dropping of the first atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We were at war, but thousands of Japanese were killed or received terminal illnesses. Those who defend it say we saved more lives than were killed,” Bishop Bosco said.
Other religious leaders also are confounded, but continue to focus on peace, as well as supporting the nation’s leaders and military.
“It’s beyond our capabilities of judging [what the United States should do],” said Dick Domer of the Bruderhof in Farmington. “We read newspapers and so on, but we don’t know all the reality of the situation, so I don’t think we can comment on what the United States should do. We hope peace will come out of this situation.
“It is our experience that wars create only more wars,” Domer added. “We will be very concerned or disappointed, if it comes to actual warfare, but it’s a very complicated situation.”
Members of the Bruderhof, a pacifist Christian community with two settlements in Farmington, have visited Iraq on humanitarian missions, in which they brought medical supplies and cleaned the hospital rooms of seriously ill children.
The last time a member of the Bruderhof was in Iraq was three years ago, Domer said, and no members are there now.
“We had a blind Iraqi girl who came to live with us for a time. She was very young, 6 years old. Three years ago, a couple of our members took her back, and since then, we haven’t been there and we don’t plan to go back at this point,” he said.
Presidents of several local clergy associations were contacted, but all chose to speak for themselves and not for their associations.
The Rev. Thomas Finnie, president of the Uniontown Area Clergy Association and pastor of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, noted the clergy association has not had an opportunity to talk about Iraq, as snow canceled its last meeting.
But, he said, “I think each member would keep his own conscience on the matter. The clergy association has no official position on it.”
Speaking for himself, Rev. Finnie said, “I think the majority of our congregation believes that war is necessary to ensure our national security, and we plan to have an evening service the day the war begins. Our people know that whatever day the war begins to show up at 7:30 that night. We know to pray for everyone: our military and the Iraqis. We want to minimize suffering, as much as possible.”
The Rev. Bob Lewis, president of the Klondike Clergy Association in the Masontown-German Township area and pastor of Masontown United Methodist Church, said that, regardless of whether he supports or opposes a war in Iraq, his responsibility is to his congregation, which has a broad range of views on the situation.
“There is a time to be prophetic and a time and a place to be pastoral, and I’m choosing to be pastoral and pray for peace, as well as for our military. We have many in our congregation who are opposed to the war. We also have many in our congregations with sons or grandsons in the military. As to whether we should fight the war or not, we have as many opinions in our congregation as you see on television. I need to pastor to them all.”
While Rev. Lewis said it’s “impossible to bless this war in the name of God,” he also noted, “What does it take for peace in this world? Sometimes, force is necessary. We pray for our president to be guided by a higher power. We don’t have all the facts.
“We pray that world leaders be guided by a higher power and for the military who are doing their duty. Those 19-to-20-year-olds didn’t ask for war. They are patriotic and doing their duty. As Christians, we need to pray for them,” he said.
No matter how people might feel about the situation, the common element that local religious leaders are endorsing is prayer – for world leaders, for sons and daughters in the military and, especially, for peace.
“I don’t want to speak for the ministerium, but we’re definitely praying for peace for the situation,” said the Rev. Michael Peton, president of the Brownsville Area Ministerial Association and pastor of Allison Christian Church.
“I personally understand we want to make sure Saddam Hussein is taken out of power. I believe he’s a dictator and the people aren’t free. President Bush has a lot on his shoulders, but he’s a man of God, a man who seeks godly counsel.
“As ministers, lay people, we need to pray for our leaders and support them, but in all, we pray for peace and, hopefully, that Saddam Hussein will comply with the U.N. resolution.”