Pax Christi's 'pledge of resistance' against attack on Iraq

Social justice news
September 2002

Churches issue call to stop the rush to war
Church calls for human dignity in sustainable development
Pax Christi USA calls for 'pledge of resistance' against attack on Iraq
Religious orders won't defrock abusive priests
USAID reports hunger stalks Palestinian children
U.S. women religious pass resolution for peace
VOTF meetings banned on church property

Pax Christi USA calls for 'pledge of resistance' against attack on Iraq

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God. (Matthew 5:9)

Pax Christi USA finds it deplorable that the United States continues to regard war and the threat of war as an acceptable way to peace. We believe that it is our responsibility as Catholic and Christian peacemakers to speak and act on behalf of Catholic/Christian moral teaching.

At a time when much of our nation seems fully bent on using swords of every length and breadth, Pax Christi, and all people of peace, must stand ready to pay the same price for peace as those who want war; must do whatever is necessary to create the deepest possible shift of the human heart; must devote themselves not to escalating hatred and death but to choosing life and witnessing in love. In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. "It is no longer a matter of violence or nonviolence, it is a matter of nonviolence or nonexistence."

As we stand on the brink of yet another war against the people of Iraq, Pax Christi USA urges all of its members and friends to prayerfully consider participation in the Iraq Peace Pledge/Pledge of Resistance (PDF file - see below) that is endorsed, and currently being circulated, by a number of peace communities. To assist you in discerning your level of participation we offer the following:

Bishop Thomas Gumbleton's address from Pax Christi USA's 2002 National Assembly - you will be redirected to the NCR website to view the speech.
To Wake A Nation: Nonviolent Direct Action for Personal and Social Transformation by Tom Cordaro
Examination of Conscience - from The Fire of Peace, written by Doris Donnelly and based on the Beatitudes
"So Precious That You Will Die For It" - excerpted from a sermon by Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Ebenezer Baptist Church on November 5, 1967
"The Price of Our Witness" - prepared by by Tom Brejcha, Esq., long-time Pax Christi USA member and President of the Thomas Moore Society.

As our elected officials consider fighting a war against the people of Iraq in our name and funded by our taxes, there is no morally neutral position. As Catholics and Christians we have an obligation to affirm certain fundamental principles of justice and a duty to speak and act publicly—to be instruments of gospel nonviolence, instruments of Christ's peace.

We have also included Action Suggestions: What YOU can do NOW! which individuals and groups can do today to express our hope that the US will not inflict further harm on the Iraqi people. We also offer our prayer card A Prayer for the Iraqi People. Other PCUSA resources concerning Iraq can also be found in our Programs &#amp; Campaigns section under the Human Rights section.

Please complete your PLEDGE FORM (PDF format) and send it to Pax Christi USA at your earliest convenience.

All PDF files require the newest version (5.0) of Adobe AcrobatReaderto view. Please allow a few minutes for the files to download. Click HERE to download Acrobat Reader 5.0.

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