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As the Iraq War was set to begin, the preacher at the small, rural_Episcopal Church I attend gave a sermon on the theology of a just war. He_laid out the conditions of the just war theory in clear and simple language_and, without taking a position, urged the congregation to use these_principles in forming their own judgments about the impending conflict.
I do not believe it is unpatriotic or disloyal to be critical of our nation’s policies in time of war or peace. Nor do I believe it is blasphemous or irreverent to be critical of the policies and practices of any religion.
I wish to respond to this question by quoting Justice Hugo Black, writing for the majority of the Supreme Court in 1947 in the case of Everson v Board of Education.
With some frequency, my wife and I look at each other and say – “life is really tough.” In the last 24 hours we have spoken with friends and loved ones hearing of their life difficulties, including: a spouse entering treatment for drug addiction; a first person witness of an attempted murder involving a pistol whipping and dousing of the victim in gasoline; the uncertainty of a possible final treatment option to stem the advance of a deadly form of cancer; and the difficulties of our son attempting to prepare for deployment to Iraq.
The week’s question and all of these incidents raise the problem (as other panelists have noted) of theodicy – how to justify the ways of God to those of us who are attempting to cope with the anxieties, fears, pain, and horrors which are thrust upon everyone by the awful stuff that happens in life.
Last night there were two important phone conversations in my home regarding the war in Iraq.
One conversation was between my wife and a long time friend and work colleague. This friend’s son had just returned from his second tour of duty as a Marine platoon commander in Iraq.
The second call was from our son, an officer in the National Guard, telling us that his deployment to Iraq in January, 2008 is more certain than ever. The war remains a foreboding, daily presence in our home.
Many years ago, as a Midshipman in the Navy, I was taught the rules of conversation appropriate to the gentility of the Wardroom on a naval vessel. The Wardroom is the dining and lounge area for commissioned officers on a Navy ship. The primary rule I remember was the stricture that it is never appropriate to speak about religion, sex, or politics while in the Wardroom. Since these seemed to me to be the three most interesting subjects in life, I found this rule both amusing and absurd.
For the last few weeks this web site has had questions bearing directly on religion, sex, and politics. I have been very interested in the questions as well as the responses and have regretted that important family matters prevented my entry into these discussions.
Mitt Romney’s “Faith in America” speech strikes me as a well crafted statement, designed to position his candidacy as a moderate conservative leader with personal integrity and character.
Barack Obama’s speech in June of 2006 was the keynote address of a conference sponsored by Sojourners and Call to Renewal on the theme of Building a Covenant for a New America. Senator Obama’s message to this gathering of largely progressive evangelicals was an exposition on the theme of the connection between religion and politics, importantly including the Senator’s reflection on some realities he believes need to be acknowledged by all who seek to bring their religious beliefs to bear upon the public issues of the day.
What Islam Really Says About Violence, Rights and Other Religions
Gomaa, Fadlallah, Mubarak, Khan, Siddiqi, Ellison, others | On Faith
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