Stated clerk sends letter to President
Bush outlining PC(USA) concerns
Kirkpatrick praises leadership, urges greater
humanitarian response
by Jerry L. Van Marter, Presbyterian News Service
The Stated Clerk has joined with a wide spectrum
of religious leaders in a joint letter
to the President, urging that any economic stimulus package be
shaped to helped those most in need of help.
LOUISVILLE - 11-September-2001 - As the United States'
war against terrorism gains momentum, Presbyterian Church (USA) stated
clerk the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick has sent a letter to President Bush
praising his leadership and restrained response but insisting that the
military phase of the war must be followed by the establishment of just
political structures in Afghanistan and massive humanitarian relief for
the Afghan people.
The letter, dated Oct. 10, was requested by the
General Assembly Council at its meeting last week and was accompanied by
the Council's pastoral letter to the church about the terrorist crisis.
The pastoral letter can be found on
the PC(USA) web site.
Kirkpatrick assured the president that he and his
advisors are in the prayers of Presbyterians, as are the suffering
people of Afghanistan. Kirkpatrick also encouraged President Bush to
maintain dialogue with the religious community around the moral and
theological issues related to the conflict and reminded the president
that there are many Presbyterians in positions of leadership in the U.S.
who stand ready to help.
The full text of the letter:
Dear President Bush:
I am writing to you on behalf of the General Assembly
of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to express appreciation for your
leadership in responding to the crisis facing our nation and the world.
We appreciate your efforts to devise a broad-based and multi-faceted
response to the attacks on New York and Washington, DC on September 11,
2001, recognizing that the threat of networks such as Al Qaeda must be
met with a number of diverse strategies and require us to make common
cause with an extremely diverse coalition of partners around the world.
This is consistent with our own policies that the best hope of
addressing such conflicts lies in our cooperation with other partners,
especially through the United Nations.
Given our own strong commitment to interfaith
dialogue, we are particularly grateful for your encouraging Americans to
respect Islam and people who are assumed to be of Middle Eastern origin.
We join you in calling for religious and ethnic tolerance in this time
of crisis for us all.
Our General Assemblies have urged on many occasions
that in the resolution of international conflicts, every non-violent
alternative be employed before there is a resort to the use of violence.
We have been especially encouraged by your restraint in the use of
military force over the past month.
Now that the military phase of your campaign has begun
to unfold, we wish to voice some concerns that grow out of long-standing
policies of our General Assembly:
1. While our theological tradition as Presbyterians
supports the limited use of force to protect the weak and to restrain
evil, that has been understood as a means of last resort, which can
never be more than a temporary solution to conflict. Lasting peace and
security can only be found in negotiation, and in the assurance of
justice for all parties. In Afghanistan it is especially critical that
the military phase be followed by the establishment of institutions of
governance that are broadly supported by the people and are respectful
of their cultural traditions.
2. U.S. military spokespersons suggest that the
high-technology weapons we have launched are 75% to 80% effective in
hitting their intended targets with precision. One can only surmise that
the other 25% to 30% will cause unintended damage to a people already
devastated by years of war. Indeed, we know that the attacks have
already resulted in the death of innocent civilians, including Afgahnis
working on the UN land mine removal project. Moreover, the use of heavy
bombers will surely result in further damage to an environment already
devastated by drought and windstorms.
3. In spite of the various forms of cooperation
offered by much of the Arabic and Islamic world, we are aware that many
Muslims around the world have deep misgivings about the bombings in
Afghanistan and that many already see these attacks as an attack on
Islam itself, notwithstanding your assertions to the contrary. That
perception is only exacerbated by such things as the routine references
in the reports of the BBC to the air campaign as "retaliatory
attacks on Afghanistan." A long sustained campaign of air attacks
on Afghanistan or evidence of civilian casualties, could lead to the
rapid evaporation of that support, endanger the whole effort to root out
those who planned and perpetrated the September 11 attacks and other
previous acts of terror, and lead to a cycle of violence that none of us
desire.
4. Millions of the Afghani people are starving, and
while high-altitude air-drops may provide some help, they are of limited
effect and may actually expose recipients to danger as they try to
retrieve the packets in areas laced with land mines. As the number of
refugees continues to grow rapidly, it is imperative that every effort
be made to create secure zones in which the many groups "on the
ground" who are experts in providing food-aid can operate
effectively. Otherwise, a tragic number of people will die in the
approaching winter and even before.
5. At the same time that you seek to end terrorism we
hope you will also give serious attention to other priorities which are
crucial for lasting peace in relation to nations in the Middle East. We
particularly implore you to work to support justice for the Palestinian
people, to end the sanctions that cause suffering to so many people in
Iraq, and to support efforts for human rights, economic development, and
religious tolerance among all the peoples of the Middle East. These
actions will go a long way toward removing many of the tensions that
lead to terrorist actions.
As you continue to face challenges not previously
encountered by a President, please know that you and those who advise
you are in our prayers. We also pray daily for the men and women in
uniform and for the millions of Afghani citizens for whom life under the
Taliban has been almost impossible and for whom this war now creates
even greater terror and dislocation.
As I am sure you know, the membership of our
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), which I am privileged to serve, includes
many capable and distinguished leaders in the fields of business,
science, politics at every level, the military, as well as the helping
professions. That can be said, as well, of the other so-called
"mainline denominations." I believe I can speak for my
ecumenical colleagues, as well as for myself, in offering our service to
you and your administration and our eagerness to be in dialogue with you
about the moral and spiritual perspectives of our communions for the
crisis facing our nation and the world.
Further, I am pleased to share with you a pastoral
letter sent to all Presbyterians by our General Assembly Council, the
elected body responsible for carrying out the programs of our
denomination in response to the policies established by our General
Assembly. You will see from this letter genuine appreciation for your
leadership, and especially for all who have performed so heroically in
response to the September 11 tragedy. You will also see a call to both
prayer and action as we, as a people, find our way together into a
future of peace and security grounded in true liberty and justice for
all.
Yours in the Name of Jesus Christ,
Clifton Kirkpatrick
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly
