wfn.org | ELCA Council Espouses Moral Deliberation on War with Iraq

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 20, 2002

ELCA COUNCIL ESPOUSES MORAL DELIBERATION ON WAR WITH IRAQ
02-274-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) adopted a five-point resolution on current
tensions between the United States and Iraq.  The resolution encouraged
study, affirmed the public witness of ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S.
Hanson, called for international consultation, advanced the work of
Lutheran offices in Washington and at the United Nations, and invited
prayer.
     The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as
the legislative authority of the church between churchwide assemblies.
The council met here Nov. 15-17.  Assemblies are held every other year;
the next is Aug. 11-17, 2003, in Milwaukee.
     "To foster moral deliberation about war with Iraq and deepen our
understanding of peacemaking, the principles of 'just/unjust war' and
alternatives to war," the council recommended study in all sectors of
the church, using a social statement the ELCA adopted in 1995 called
"For Peace in God's World," materials the ELCA Division for Church in
Society produced in 1999 called "Talking Together as Christians about
Tough Social Issues," and similar materials other Christian churches
have developed.
     The council affirmed "the public witness of Presiding Bishop Mark
Hanson in support of peace."  Hanson advanced peaceful means of
resolving conflict in two September visits to the White House related to
the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 and war in the Middle East.
     Hanson joined dozens of Christian leaders in sending a letter
Sept. 12 to President George W. Bush, opposing a "pre-emptive use of
military force" against Iraq.  In an Aug. 30 statement, Hanson said it
would be wrong for the United States to seek to overthrow the regime of
Saddam Hussein of Iraq with military action.
     "As the ELCA develops its ongoing response to the crisis
concerning Iraq," the council asked the Office of the Presiding Bishop
"to continue to consult with its international partners, particularly
through the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the World Council of
Churches (WCC)."  The ELCA is a member of both organizations.
     The LWF is a global communion of 136 Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition in 76 countries representing more than 61.7 million
of the 65.4 million Lutherans worldwide.  The WCC represents 400 million
Christians in more than 340 churches, denominations and fellowships in
120 countries and territories throughout the world.  Both organizations
are based in Geneva, Switzerland.
     The council encouraged Lutherans "to exercise their vocation as
citizens in advocacy for peace" and supported the work of the Lutheran
Office for Governmental Affairs (LOGA) and the Lutheran Office for World
Community (LOWC) to advocate "for peace and humanitarian efforts related
to Iraq."
     LOGA is the ELCA's federal public policy advocacy office in
Washington, D.C.  LOWC represents the ELCA at the United Nations.  Both
are programs of the ELCA Division for Church in Society.  LOWC is also a
program of the LWF.
     Finally, the council invited the prayers of all Lutherans "for
peace, the work of the United Nations weapons inspectors, the people of
Iraq, leaders of the United States, and members of the armed forces and
their families."
     "If Jesus stands for anything, Jesus stands for peace," Dr. Addie
J. Butler, vice president of the ELCA, Philadelphia, said after the
meeting.  "It really goes to the core of who we are as Christian people,
not who we are as Lutheran people, not who we are as ELCA Lutherans, but
who we are as Christian people," she said.
     Butler admitted that peaceful methods are not the only way to
address an issue and that Jesus portrayed more than the peace of God.
     "If people of faith don't stand for peace and push for peaceful
processes for resolving various kinds of conflict, then who will?"
Butler asked.  "We need to have some voices -- loud voices, numerous
voices -- standing for peace," she said.
-- -- --
      "For Peace in God's World" is available at
http://www.elca.org/DCS/peacein.pf.html and "Talking Together as
Christians about Tough Social Issues" is at
http://www.elca.org/DCS/talkingtogether.html on the ELCA Web site.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html