GAC calls for U.S. restraint on
Iraq
Council urges Presbyterians to witness - and
work - for peace
by John Filiatreau, Presbyterian News Service
[10-1-02]
LOUISVILLE - September 28, 2002 - The General Assembly
Council (GAC) on Saturday issued a "call to prayer and
action," urging Presbyterians to oppose a precipitate U.S. attack
on Iraq and the Bush administration's 'new doctrine of pre-emptive
military action.'
During its fall meeting here, the council
overwhelmingly endorsed a statement approved by the staff leadership
team of the Presbyterian Church (USA) on Sept. 18, calling on members of
the denomination to:
* Pray that the leaders of the United States, Iraq and
the United Nations 'may receive the wisdom that leads to peace, not war,
"and will commit themselves to 'the rebuilding of the lives,
communities and nations that already have been destroyed by war";
* Pray that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein will
"cooperate fully as U.N. weapons inspectors prepare to re-enter
Iraq" and "stop the oppression of his own people and threats
of violence against neighboring states";
* Pray for "all who are fearful over the prospect
of war, especially the families of all who will be placed in harm's way
in the event of military action";
* Pray for the Iraqi people, who have been
"victimized by a repressive government" and "devastated
by more than a decade of destructive and ineffectual economic
sanctions";
* "Urge restraint on the part of our own
government," by communicating to members of Congress the policies
of the General Assembly and "our desire for negotiated solutions to
international problems rather than resort to military violence."
The statement also calls upon President George W.
Bush, as well as the vice president, the secretaries of state and
defense, the attorney general, the national security advisor and
Congressional leaders, to:
* "Speak in ways that encourage peace, rather
than war, and refrain from language that seems to label certain
individuals and nations as 'evil' and others as 'good'";
* Oppose ethnic and religious stereotyping,
"affirming the value of all U.S. citizens and others ... who
embrace the visions of peace found in Islam and other faith
traditions";
* Guard against "a unilateralism, rooted in our
unique position of political, economic and military power, that
perpetuates the perception that 'might makes right'";
* Allow the decisions of the United Nations on weapons
inspections in Iraq "to run the appropriate course, without undue
pressure or threats of pre-emptive, unilateral action";
* End the economic sanctions against Iraq, "which
have been an ineffectual weapon against Saddam Hussein, but have done
untold damage to the Iraqi people."
Finally, the GAC statement encourages Presbyterians to
consult resources on the PC(USA)'s Web site - www.pcusa.org
- "as a help in determining how God is leading each to respond to
this international crisis."
In support of the recommendations, the statement cites
policies on Iraq adopted by past General Assemblies calling for the
lifting of the economic sanctions; safeguards "to prevent the
government of Iraq from acquiring or developing the means of mass
destruction"; a "wholehearted" search for "a
negotiated solution based on diplomacy and not violence"; and a
decision on Iraq's part "to redirect its resources from developing
and deploying instruments of destruction to enterprises that will
benefit the Iraqi people."
It notes that a GA-approved statement called Peacemaking:
The Believers' Calling points out, "The church's faithful
obedience to its calling means active participation in the formation of
the values and beliefs of our society ... and exercising our citizenship
in the body politic to shape foreign policy."
It also cites the Confession of 1967, which says in
part:
God's reconciliation in Jesus Christ is the ground of
the peace, justice and freedom among nations which all powers of
government are called to serve and defend. ... The church, in its own
life, is called to ... commend to the nations as practical politics the
search for cooperation and peace. ... Reconciliation among nations
becomes particularly urgent as countries develop nuclear, chemical and
biological weapons, diverting their manpower and resources from
constructive uses and risking the annihilation of mankind.
The
Presbyterian Peacemaking Program has a special web site with a wealth of
helpful information posted on it: http://www.pcusa.org/peacemaking/iraq/
