Wednesday, 10 September 2008
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The Church Can't Justify the A-Bomb
from sirnickdon
Father George Zabelka was the Catholic chaplain to the Catholic pilot who dropped the bomb on Nagasaki. Ater many years and much work with ecumenical councils, Father Zabelka reflected on his part in the war.
For the first three centuries, the three centuries closest to Christ, the Church was a pacifist Church. With Constantine the church accepted the pagan Roman ethic of a just war and slowly began to involve its membership in mass slaughter, first for the state and later for the faith.
Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants, whatever other differences they may have had on theological esoterica, all agreed that Jesus’ clear and unambiguous teaching on the rejection of violence and on love of enemies was not to be taken seriously. And so each of the major branches of Christianity by different theological methods modified our Lord’s teaching in these matters until all three were able to do what Jesus rejected, that is, take an eye for an eye, slaughter, maim, torture.
It seems a "sign" to me that seventeen hundred years of Christian terror and slaughter should arrive at August 9, 1945 when Catholics dropped the A-Bomb on top of the largest and first Catholic city in Japan. One would have thought that I, as a Catholic priest, would have spoken out against the atomic bombing of nuns. (Three orders of Catholic sisters were destroyed in Nagasaki that day.) One would have thought that I would have suggested that as a minimal standard of Catholic morality, Catholics shouldn’t bomb Catholic children. I didn’t.
I, like that Catholic pilot of the Nagasaki plane, was heir to a Christianity that had for seventeen hundred years engaged in revenge, murder, torture, the pursuit of power and prerogative and violence, all in the name of our Lord.
I walked through the ruins of Nagasaki right after the war and visited the place where once stood the Urakami Cathedral. I picked up a piece of a censer from the rubble. When I look at it today I pray God forgives us for how we have distorted Christ’s teaching and destroyed His world by the distortion of that teaching. I was the Catholic chaplain who was there when this grotesque process, which began with Constantine, reached its lowest point – so far.
Elsewhere, Father Zabelkas came with strong words for ecumenical councils, warning that
It is about time for the Church and its leadership in all denominations to get down on its knees and repent of this misrepresentation of Christ’s words.
Communion with Christ cannot be established on disobedience to His clearest teachings. Jesus authorized none of His followers to substitute violence for love; not me, not you, not Jimmy Carter, not the pope, not a Vatican council, nor even an ecumenical council.
Sadly, I am afraid that the church has gained too much power, and will never willingly follow its Lord in letting it go.
Do you think the church has gone too far with "the pursuit of power and prerogative and violence?"
Read the complete interview with Rev. Zabelka here
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Comments (82)
@sirnickdon - Ok nick. you win this one. you are right. I concede. But I won't tear down others service to their country. I have heard of many instances where prayer in the midst of battle brought on what could only be described as the hand of God. Nor would I be ashamed of my 3 sons' duty to their country.
Think of the pain young men endured as they got off the planes and were spat upon by war protestors during Viet Nam. Most were not Christians. Non of the protestors who spat could claim to be. The greatest percentage of men and women in our armed services are not Christian. So I just think it unfair to over load the shame and guilt upon the Christian. Nor should non christians be castigated for their duty to their country. They do not know they are suppose to lay down like sheep to the slaughter and die for religious beliefs they do not adhere to.
We are a minority as Christians. Allways have been. And yet if you read the replies of some of these people you would think we are the great majority who are leading millions to their deaths.
Just not so. Yet if a Christian is called into battle for a country that he just happens to live in and enjoys it's freedoms, I say give that person a break and pray for them that God would keep them out of harms way.
That may be wrong. God forgive me if it is. Your fellow brother in Christ.
@bubbadirt@xanga - I am absolutely, 100% with you on this. I have several close friends who have served in the military, and one of my earliest memories is of my father (who was an infantryman in WWII) taking me to the Wichita public library and showing me a history book listing my grandfather as a great hero of some battle of the first world war. I wish now that I could remember what book or what battle it was.
I am incredibly proud of my father, and the grandfather I didn't know, for the sacrifices they made and the bravery they showed. Just because I believe that renouncing violence is central to Christian discipleship, doesn't mean that I think anyone who serves in the military is evil, or loves violence. We live in a fallen, sinful, violent world, and the bondage to sin runs through so many levels.
So, yes, I participate in the blessing ceremonies my church holds for troops deploying overseas, and I pray for our armed forces. Of course, I have to pray for the armed forces of America's enemies as well. It's what Jesus taught us to do.
And thank you, by the way, for the respectful tone of our discussion. It's so easy to become heated in this discussion; I am glad we can disagree as brothers.
-ND
@Pickwick12@xanga - i know this is kind of late, but you might want to look up the traditional christian qualifications of "just war" or check out the book "when God says war is right" by Darrell Cole - who is definitely NOT a pacifist - and by the definition of "just war" there is no justification for dropping that bomb.
@sirnickdon - this was a really good post, thank you for putting it out there! i guess i would not say i am a pacifist (if someone came into my house and tried to kill my family i am pretty sure i would do everything I could not to kill them, but if i had to, I would... mother's instinct, you know?) but I do agree with this Catholic priest that the "church" has gone too far, especially in their excusing violence against other nations, but condemning violence against us. That is a completely un-Biblical double standard.
I couldn't help but read what you wrote about praying for our troops, but also praying for the troops of our enemies. That is awesome. And something that is missing in ever single church prayer time that I have listened to in the past seven years.
Anyway, thanks . The post was thought provoking and humbling.
@rachelserine@xanga - I don't take my idea of just war from tradition, but I appreciate the suggestions. I might check out that book. Thanks.
:)
can't say there is anything wrong with not taking beliefs from tradition - it is an interesting place to start though and if you talk about just war people may assume you mean what many christians for centuries have purported as "just war."
Do check out the book - it's pretty cool. :)
@rachelserine@xanga - I understand your point. When I say "just war" I literally mean a war that I believe is just by my interpretation of the Bible.