Congregational and Denominational Positions on the War in Iraq

For Immediate Release--Churches for Middle East Peace

U.S. Church Leaders Issue Statement on Iraq War

(WASHINGTON, March 20, 2003)
On behalf of Churches for Middle East Peace, the following statement was issued by Fr. Stan DeBoe, chair, and Corinne Whitlatch, director. The full text follows:

Churches for Middle East Peace deeply regrets the decision by the United States and other nations to begin military action against Iraq. We are concerned about the injury and loss of life of U.S. personnel who have been deployed to the region and of the Iraqi people who once again suffer the devastating effects of war.

In the midst of these horrific events, our prayers are with our brothers and sisters in the Middle East. Mindful of God's will for peace and justice on earth, we pledge our efforts to work actively for peace and to urge the U.S. government to:

We pray that the leaders of our nation and the nations of the world will have compassion and wisdom. We join the members of our churches in praying for the safety of United States servicemen and women and for the safety of the people of Iraq. We call upon members of our churches to act in a manner consistent with their faith and conscience to foster peace in the Middle East.

As a people of faith, we believe that God calls us to paths of peace rooted in mercy and justice. In the midst of conflict, violence, and death, we will not stray from that path. Instead, we recommit ourselves to God's vision of peace and will strive to build a world of greater understanding, compassion and care, until we can live without the threat of war and all people can live in peace. Formed in 1984, Churches for Middle East Peace is a Washington-based program of the American Friends Service Committee, Catholic Conference of Major Superiors of Men's Institutes, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Church of the Brethren, Church World Service, Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Franciscan Mission Service, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Maryknoll Missioners, Mennonite Central Committee, National Council of Churches, Presbyterian Church (USA), Reformed Church in America, Unitarian Universalist Association, United Church of Christ, and the United Methodist Church.

For further information, see www.cmep.org.

Our Congregation Speaks

March 23, 2003

Thank you for answering my question from the Women's Service: What do we all, as a congregation, think about this war on Iraq? We are four days into it, and our ground is shifting under us.

It's taken me some time to understand what we, the congregation, have been saying to each other. Our opinions are diverse and we hold them passionately. (Of 46 responses, 41 agree with the statement, 3 disagree, 2 are undecided.) I believe the underlying statement is that we come together to nurture each others' spiritual health. We come together once a week to worship God, not privately, not with family, but with a few hundred souls, our faith community. We love and defend our community worship, because we have all experienced its power, in receiving the gift of others' prayers, and in giving our prayers for each other. Whatever we believe and whatever we do about this war with Iraq, we love and defend our Sunday mornings-and all the other days we get together to do the work that keeps the congregation healthy-we love and defend our community worship as we love and defend the freedoms our nation is built on.

Joanne Barrie Lynn

Statement by the Community of Kirkland Congregational Church, United Church of Christ

Final Draft March 23, 2003

In the face of this world crisis in February 2003, we, the congregation of Kirkland Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, state that we oppose the impending war with Iraq. We know that war is sometimes necessary in self-defense, but we state that war is an admission of defeat and must be a last resort. If we must go to war we need the support and sanction of the United Nations.

We acknowledge strong differences of opinion within our congregation. Most of us agree with this statement, a few of us do. not, and a few of us want to dissociate from it entirely. We take strength from this freedom within our democracy and within our congregation, to speak our minds, to find common ground, to disagree. Our diversity of thought nurtures our spiritual health. We allow no war and no differences of opinion to come between us as we pray together.

We want to make clear that we support and honor the people who serve in the armed services, even though we oppose the war they are preparing for. We thank and honor the veterans who served and died to preserve our democracy and our constitutional freedoms. We light a candle for 2nd LT Matthew K. Boris, USMC, and for LT CMDR Blake Michaelson, USN, every Sunday until they come home. We pray for their safe return, and for all our loved ones in the armed services.

From the Pastor..

As I write this to you, the "shock and awe" bombing campaign of the U.S. military in Iraq is beginning. Like all of you, I have watched war on TV before, starting with nightly suppertime body counts from Vietnam. But never before was the technology so powerful and the information so immediate. And never before was my interest so personal. Our oldest son, Matthew, is a 23 year old 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. He's an artillery officer, serving with the 1st Marine Division moving to capture the town of Basra, in southern Iraq. Each time we hear a Marine has been killed, our heads snap up and our hearts pound. Cindy and I are proud of Matthew, confident in his training, and comforted by the knowledge that U.S. casualties were very light in the Gulf War and promise to be again in "Gulf 2." But as parents these are anxious times as we ache for our child and share the pain of all the families with loved ones in the conflict.

I find my emotions very mixed today. I am still against this war and suspicious of the motives of our administration. Our President and his advisors have arrogantly gone their own way, ignoring U.S. public opinion and the voices of the international community. We have damaged the power of the United Nations and have made light of the concerns of our allies in NATO. We have tarnished the reputation of the United States of America and have made fearful enemies around the world with our show of power. Yet I have no desire to march for peace. What I want now is a quick and successful end to the conflict. I want our technology to overpower the Iraqi forces so we can win this war with as little damage to Iraq as possible. I pray for few lives lost among the Iraqi people and among the coalition forces. And I pray for our son to return home, alive and healthy, with a new understanding of the horrors of war and the need for all of us to work for love, justice, and peace in the world.

It's appropriate to be talking about war and death as we look forward to the Easter celebration of the Resurrection. I'm not talking about some simple promise that if Matthew is killed he'll "be in a better place." That provides little comfort for me. What I am talking about is my deeply held belief that love is stronger than death. Death is not the end of love or the end of relationship. In life and in death, Matthew will always be a part of who we are. I find great encouragement in the concern many of you have shared, and in your actions of writing letters to Matthew, praying, and lighting candles for him. The power of the Resurrection is in the community of love we share. It allows us to face the most tragic circumstances of our lives and somehow find the strength to keep living and loving. We declare "Christ has risen." Life is stronger than death. Love conquers hate.

I am yours in Christ,
Walter John Boris
 

Back to Main Page