The Anti-War Christian Right Must Speak Up

[Pikku]

http://www.lewrockwell.com/barnwell/barnwell35.html

Conservative Christians who are opposed to the war in Iraq and the trigger-happy nature of the Right in general need to speak up. There is no reason that our voices should be drowned out by a loud chorus of hawks. While Hagee and others are influencing thousands, we are influencing few. These hawkish believers need to realize that their opinions on these matters are not the only viable option for traditionalist Christians. More importantly, the Church on a whole needs a renewed debate on matters of war and peace.

Many in the pews have not been exposed to the other side in this debate. Instead alternative opinions have just been lambasted as "liberal," "unpatriotic," "cowardly," and even "heresy." What we need is more pastors and more church leaders who are willing to speak up, even in the face of opposition, and show that a conservative pro-peace position can be intelligently defended on Scriptural, moral, practical, and political grounds.

<snip>

If you are a pro-war Christian reading this, you need to understand that John Hagee, Jerry Falwell, Ralph Reed and other "Big Name" celebrities of the Christian Right do not hold a monopoly on truth. You can hold a very Biblical theology and still be opposed to the war in Iraq and aggressive militarism in general. You can even be a conservative Christian in good standing if you are occasionally critical of the Bush administration.


There is common ground here.

[autorank]

1. I hope this spreads.

Thanks for the post. I hope people actually open their minds on this, but I'm not optimistic.

Here is a bigger issue: How can the Christian Right tolerate the support to retain pro segregation/anti public school language in the Alabama constitution by the Christian Coalition?

This is simply beyond belief...

[Warpy]

2. The mainstream churches need to speak up

They've dropped the ball for years, tacitly agreeing with the whole unchristian mindset on the right for fear of alienating well heeled GOP church members.

The stakes are too high. You keep appeasing these followers of Antichrist, and you risk losing your souls completely.

[WebeBlue]

3. Me, on Newshour w/ Jim Lehrer, speaking out from my pulpit

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/military/july-dec04/battle_10-04.html

O8)