January 12, 2007

The general secretary of the Church of the Brethren General Board, Stanley J. Noffsinger, has made a response to President Bush's speech about the Iraq war. Following is the response, which will be posted at the website of the National Council of Churches along with responses from leaders of other Christian denominations (go to http://www.ncccusa.org/):

"As Christians, we are called to continually give witness to Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, who called us to love our enemies. Last summer, in July 2006, the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference made a resolution about the war in Iraq that is even more applicable today.

"As the highest authority in the Church of the Brethren, the Annual Conference voted to affirm our denomination's historic and living witness that all war is sin. As disciples of Christ and members of one of the three Historic Peace Churches, we resolved that we cannot ignore the death, destruction, and violence of the war in Iraq.

"The message of Jesus ‘to love your enemy,' from the Gospel of Matthew 5:44, is inconsistent with military action. Jesus' words instead move us toward peaceful methods, diplomacy, moral suasion, nonviolent sanctions, and international cooperation to address violence and aggression.

"War demeans and brutalizes all its participants. Military combatants and support personnel as well as innocent civilians, including women, children, and the infirm, are being killed and maimed. Military intervention in Iraq has triggered wave after wave of brutal acts of terrorism. In addition, the enormous expense of the war is a disastrous drain on the resources that are so desperately needed to relieve suffering at home and around the world.

"The Church of the Brethren has called on its members to pray and give witness to the sin of violence, and has petitioned the federal government of the United States, the United Nations, and other nations and groups to seek peace by taking action to bring troops home from Iraq.

"Also, we have called on religious leaders from all faiths who preach violence to consider the things that truly make for peace. The wisdom of the scriptures, in the book of Jonah, provides direction: ‘Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence' (Jonah 3:8).

"Now, in response to the points the President is seeking, these statements by the Church of the Brethren are reaffirmed. Furthermore, we reiterate the church's prayerful call upon the global community to formulate and actively implement a nonviolent, just plan that will bring peace and security to Iraq and all its people."

For Church of the Brethren statements about the war in Iraq see:

2006 Annual Conference resolution, "An End to the War in Iraq" at http://www.brethren.org/ac/ac_statements/2006IraqWarResolution.pdf.

"2004 Annual Conference Resolution on Iraq" at http://www.brethren.org/ac/ac_statements/2004Iraq.html.

2002 General Board resolution, "Statement on the Threat of War Between the United States and Iraq" at http://www.brethren.org/genbd/GBResolutions/2002Iraq.html.

1998 General Board resolution, "1998 Statement on the Conflict with Iraq" at http://www.brethren.org/genbd/GBResolutions/98Iraq.htm.

Church of the Brethren