| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 16, 2002 STATEMENT FROM FLORIDA CONFERENCE BISHOP TIMOTHY W. WHITAKER ON WAR WITH IRAQ Dear Friends in Christ: Included below is a statement from the Florida Council of Churches* urging President George W. Bush not to commit the armed forces of the United States to war with Iraq for the purpose of deposing the regime of Saddam Hussein. I have joined officials of other Christian communities in signing the statement. I do not wish to offend President Bush personally or politically. I respect him as both a person and as our president. Because he is a United Methodist Christian, I feel an affection for him and pray for him as he seeks to fulfill the burdens of his office. Nor am I a pacifist. I believe the Spirit of God has called certain individuals and communities to make the witness of pacifism against the violence that is the result of human sinfulness. Most of us have not received that call. We understand that in a world where there are acts of lawlessness sometimes nations must use force in order to restrain evil and protect innocent people. Neither do I criticize the administration of President Bush in its attempt to destroy the international network of terrorists who attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. Yet, I am opposed to the proposition that the United States should make war against Iraq. The reasons for my opposition are stated simply in the statement of the Florida Council of Churches. Even war must be waged in the context of a moral perspective that provides direction and defines boundaries. That moral perspective is usually called the "just war theory." As someone who believes the "just war theory" is the best moral perspective we posses for deciding whether to wage war and how to wage war, I do not believe that a virtually unilateral decision by the United States to wage war has sufficient moral justification. Iraq is under the censure of the United Nations. Its ability to harm the Kurdish people in its northern region or to invade its neighbors is being contained by the United States military. It may be necessary to conduct air strikes on sites where weapons of mass destruction are manufactured or stored. If there is a need to conduct an invasion it should be under the authority of the community of nations known as the United Nations since a war on Iraq will affect the whole world. The approval of the United Nations is especially important if there is a threat posed by Iraq's "nuclear capability" since Iraq does not have the ability to attack the United States with an intercontinental ballistic missile, but it would have the ability to attack other nations in its region. I do not know what the consequences of a war would be. The reason that war should be waged only as a last resort when there are no other plausible solutions is because war always has long-term unforeseen consequences. One could imagine the deaths of many young Americans and Iraqi civilians in the residential areas of Baghdad, the severe disruption of the global economy, heightened tensions or new violence in the Middle East, and the eventual collapse of governments friendly to our country in the region. A virtually unilateral war by the United States would likely diminish the moral authority of our country in its leadership in the world for the future. A lengthy war would divide the American people. Even a brief "successful" war would still have significant consequences that cannot be anticipated. I wanted you to know directly my position. When the Spirit of God called me into the episcopal office I made a commitment that I would not speak in code. When officials speak in ambiguous and vague language that hides their true position they raise the level of anxiety and frustration in the communities of which they are a part. I believe the United Methodist people in Florida have a right to know my position on controversial and emotionally charged subjects. I try to speak clearly to you because I trust you. I trust that you are quite capable of assessing the strengths and weaknesses of my position and of making up your own mind. I trust that you will respect my right to express my conscience even if you think I am wrong. I continue to pray for President Bush, the members of his administration and the members of Congress. I pray for the young men and women and their leaders in the armed forces. I pray for the people of Iraq. Most of all I pray that God's kingdom will come and God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker *The Florida Council of Churches statement is saved as a PDF file. To Return to Bishop's Corner index page.
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