On pacifism

pac-i-fism: n. 1. opposition to war or violence of any kind 2. refusal to engage in military activity because of one's principles or beliefs 3. the principle or policy that all differences among nations should be adjusted without recourse to war*

The subject of pacifism arose in my religion class today, and so I thought I might post something about it on a very popular social networking site. Here are the three major responses I received to my prompt.

"It's the extreme of a spectrum of ideologies that places faith in the 'natural desire' of people to live in peace with each other, despite racial, cultural, religious, or other differences that may divide them. Because it is an extreme, it is practically useless in the world of today. I am, of course, speaking on a national scale. Speaking on a personal scale, it would be more correct to refer to this as being non-confrontational or something to that extent."

"Pacifism, in the sense of liking peace, should be everyone's ideal. However, in the sense of being afraid of violence, that's foolish. Sometimes, violence (even war) is necessary to protect the innocent."

"Theologically, for me, pacifism has to do with the ushering of God's kingdom of peace. It will not work for nations since they do not follow an ethic of God's kingdom. It was prophesied by the prophets. Isaiah and Micah both said, the day w...ill come when people will "beat their swords into plowshares, their spears into pruning hooks." However, pacifism is a misnomer. Instead of being passive about something, it refers to the creative use of nonviolence to enact change and to reverse control. (Someone will throw that Edmund Burke quote about this moment). Violence is about keeping the illusion of control and strength. That's why the Sermon on the Mount has those twists on conventional ethics. Roman legionnaires could force subjugated people to carry baggage for only a mile. If someone were willing to carry it the extra mile, then the Roman soldier would be in the wrong and lose control of the situation (From Walter Wink). Pacifism as commonly constructed is based on 19th c. Liberal Modernism that thinks everybody will get along because humanity is basically good. Scripture and theology routinely teaches us that this is not the case. We live in a fallen world, but Christians are called to live no longer like the world and use its mean to usher change. In the early church, converts either left the Roman legions or moved to noncombatant roles like the postal service or firefighting. Martin of Tours felt this way. To quote the title of MLK Jr's book, it takes "strength to love" our enemies, but it will transform them.
It's not just an ivory tower either. Currently, Christian peacemaking teams exist in Africa, the Middle East, and other places around the globe. In this country, Christian communities are trying to transform area by living different than the neighbors round about them (Rootba House, the Simple Way, Koinonia Farms), while the churches collect offerings to support "programs." One can be a Christian and still use the Just War Theory, but if that theory was carried to its fullest many will find that most of the conflicts we term wars are not just. Nonviolence becomes a complete way to live life God's way as far as I can tell."

*definition courtesy of dictionary.com