EXPRESSIONS OF FAITH
3 ways of looking at war

By Leo Sandon

The traditional biblical positions regarding war and peace are now being heard in the public square: pacifism, just war and, lamentably, crusades.

Pacifism probably was the predominant Christian witness during the church's first centuries. It has been perpetuated in historically peaceful churches (Mennonite, Breth-ren, Friends) and members of mainline groups who believe that participating in violence, warfare and military service in a nuclear era violates a moral imperative.

Pacifism is taking on a new credibility. Pacifist or quasi-pacifist strategies of nonviolent social reconstruction, conflict resolution and reconciliation are gaining respect among academics, in governmental circles and with civic organizations. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, among others, demonstrates their usefulness much as Gandhi, Kagawa and Martin Luther King Jr. did in the recent past.

The just-war tradition, which began with St. Ambrose and St. Augustine, probably is the perspective of choice for the majority of Christians who think seriously about war and are not willing to obey uncritically what the state commands. It shares with similar ethical traditions in Judaism and Islam a concern for moral restraints on resorting to war and for humane norms in waging it. In this tradition, war may be justified if the cause is good, if it is a last resort, if it is legitimately authorized and if there is reasonable hope for success. War would be waged discriminately and with a sense of proportionality.

Many working from a just-war tradition rule out pre-emptive warfare. Bishops and world leaders represent a continuum ranging from grave concern to unequivocal opposition to U.S. policy. The Vatican considers a pre-emptive war against Iraq "a war of aggression." A number of Jewish groups and most Muslim leaders also oppose it.

Other religious leaders support the invasion on the basis of their interpretation of just-war principles. Roman Catholic theologian Michael Novak, of the American Enterprise Institute, supports it, as do prominent conservative evangelicals. Just-war theory has a history of being stretched to rationalize whatever a nation needs to justify.

The surprising aspect of U.S. policy today is its crusade mentality. Its antecedents lie deep in the holy-war tradition of ancient Israel. It was big in the 11th century, when Christians needed to liberate Jerusalem's holy places from the Turks. For crusaders, war is a religious and moral obligation.

Not since World War I has the crusader attitude been so strong. A recent Newsweek has a cover story on "Bush and God: Why his 'God Talk' Worries Friends and Foes." Journalist Howard Fineman and religious historian Martin E. Marty give voice to a growing uneasiness among allies and among U.S. citizens.

"One hopes that the Bush people will keep in mind," Marty writes, "that claims of God's always being on our side are alienating to many former or would-be allies." Since an initial blunder of calling for a crusade against terrorists in the aftermath of Sept. 11, President Bush has taken care not to use the term. But the crusade attitude and rhetoric continue unabated.

Osama bin Laden refers to U.S. crusaders when he attempts to stir up hatred toward us in the Arab world. We, in turn, speak of good and evil in absolute terms and declare war on demon enemies with crusading fervor, fanning his flames.

Advocating a crusading invasion of Iraq today invokes ghosts from religiously motivated missions we thought were distant memories. Richard Lion-Heart (1157-99) led the Third Crusade, going it alone when German and French allies dropped out. Richard led the greatest force ever assembled in the Middle Ages, but on the cusp of invasion he decided that more blood wasn't worth it. He made a truce with Kurdish leader Saladin and went home. So far Bush's course has been analogous to Richard's. But don't look for any abrupt change of direction this time.

Leo Sandon is distinguished teaching professor of religion and American studies at Florida State University. E-mail him at lsandongarnet@acns.fsu.edu.