True Christians Cannot Support War

April 2006

This was written on a beautiful Easter Sunday, when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. It is a wonderful day, with the thought that death can be conquered and that there is hope. Of course, it is not true that Jesus actually rose from the dead. The story is based on an old pagan myth. Yet so many people take an obviously untrue story and make it the centerpiece of their religious belief. That's why they call it faith, because no one could believe it otherwise.

Raised a Catholic, I understand faith and how people can believe things that make no sense whatsoever. The entire jihad against Americans and the west makes no sense, unless one understands that they see us as a threat, i.e., they fear us. The actions of the terrorists are based on fear, not love. (Of course, attacking Iraq made no sense and was also based on fear.) No god could ever countenance such actions. Idolatry lives on in so many ways.

But here I want to focus on the real center of religious faith. That is the belief in love. If one believes in Jesus and is a Christian, he or she knows the greatest commandment: love one another. Love your enemies as yourself. Turn the other cheek. Forgiveness is a crucial part of this love. Forgive them and you can love them, and see them - and all people - as blameless and lovable.

This is the true core concept in Christianity, and it is the key to peace in our lives and in our world. But if you believe in war, you don't really understand love.

Love one another does not mean kill one another. Absolutely not. It doesn't mean only love us, or some of us, but not them. For love is oneness and unity, and means seeing us all - and everything - as one. The perception of separateness is fear, and fear and love are not compatible. No one would make war or kill another person if they were not afraid, or had not judged someone to be different or separate from god.

So, it is puzzling. People who profess a Christian faith support killing other people in war. No one who supports any war, including the war in Iraq, can also be a true Christian. If a person truly knows and understands love, he or she cannot support war.

How have we come to a point where Christians profess love and act in war? It is a sad perversion of the true teachings of the religion. And in concert with the principle of love, we can only love them and forgive them, and see them as blameless; they know not what they do.

But if we attack them and judge them, we fall prey to the same fear and judgment, and demonstrate a lack of love, too.