"We believe that the churches must continue to struggle prayerfully with the Bible, the Christian tradition, and the current international context in order to understand whether going to war can be the will of God. But we also consider it crucial for all Christians, whatever their beliefs on this issue, to recognize their common voation as peacemakers."
"Only the witness of Scripture, the peace and social justice of Christ himself, enable us to see the evil of war and violence for what it truly is. Here we learn of God's will that 'nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more (Isaiah 2:4b), that he will judge between the nations and arbitrate for oppressed peoples (Isaiah 2:4a; 3:13 - 5). Here we learn that God's anger will be kindled against nations that make iniquitous decress, rob the people of their rights, acquire wealth at the expense of the poor, or sit by complacently while some go hungry (Isaiah 32:9 - 10)."
"For the church to affirm its faith in a God of peace means that wherever possible it must seek non-violent means of dealing with conflict situations. This is a broad claim and there is no shortage of possible meanings. Violence finds many manifestations - in the home and school playground, amongst gangs in our cities, words that brutalise colleagues in workplaces, and in familiar means of entertainment; the level of realism to which we are accustomed in films, video games, and such like, is graphic and detailed."
"Calling for more peaceful living in the midst of a violent world will often be seen as naïve, foolish, or irresponsible. We do not accept that it is any of these things. Indeed, our claim is that a realistic appraisal of the global situation at the beginning of the twenty-first century makes clear the need for an alternative to war as a mode of resolving conflict."
Extracts from: Peacemaking: A Christian Vocation
A re-examination of the ethics of war in the context of the current global situation.
(available from MPH - REF PD302) www.mph.org.uk
