Catholics initiate call to GI's to refuse

[babylonsister]

Catholics initiate call to GI's to refuse
Submitted by davidswanson on Sat, 2007-09-29 02:23. Nonviolent Resistance

"Refuse to kill. Refuse the order to go to war ... We know your resistance to war will be difficult and require great courage."

By Jonah House and Dorothy Day Catholic Worker. September 28, 2007

Brothers and sisters in the military: "Refuse to fight! Refuse to kill!"

You are being ordered to war in the footsteps of veterans, who, more than 10 years ago, were sent to fight the first Gulf War. Many of those vets returned with severe and unacknowledged illnesses. Many gave birth to severely deformed children. All were abandoned by the Veterans Administration.

You are being ordered to war by the most powerful nation on earth. You are being ordered to war by a nation with the most destructive weapons ever conceived, developed, deployed or used. You are being ordered to war by a nation whose self-acknowledged posture is that of world domination, mastery, control. This nation can have no moral justification for war.

We, the undersigned, are convinced that war is the greatest evil on earth. We believe that humankind must end war, or war will end humankind, and, in fact, all of creation. Our convictions have driven us time and again to the Pentagon, White House and Congress in acts of civil resistance to war.

Now, we bring our plea to you, sisters and brothers, in the armed forces.

Refuse to kill.
Refuse the order to go to war.
Leave the military before it is too late.
We know your resistance to war will be difficult and require great courage. But please reflect:

Is it more difficult than fighting in war?
Is it more difficult than being a pawn of corporate greed?
Is it more difficult than living with a violated conscience?
Is it more difficult than living with the poisons of war in your body and spirit?
Wrong is easy. Right is difficult and long. Do what your heart says is right.

more...

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/27272

[GeminiProgressive]

1. The Catholic Workers are great!

always working for progressive causes. Too bad the right-wing class colaborating church hierarchy will never support this. They pretend to be anti-war but if they put even half as much energy into ending war and the death penalty as they do into banning gay marriage, abortion, and stem cell research we could have avoided this mess.

[babylonsister]

2. Well said, and welcome to DU! nt

[GeminiProgressive]

3. Thanks!

:hi:

[bananas]

4. Welcome to DU! nt

[midnight]

5. This is a wonderful action that is being asked by the Catholic

Workers, but does anyone know what Pope Benedict has to say? When at church we just pray for the soldiers and there safe return, and variations on that theme.

[hedgehog]

16. As it happens, Benedict has labeled this an unjust war

http://www.cjd.org/paper/benedict.html

On one occasion before the war, he was asked whether it would be just. "Certainly not," he said, and explained that the situation led him to conclude that "the damage would be greater than the values one hopes to save."

"All I can do is invite you to read the Catechism, and the conclusion seems obvious to me…" The conclusion is one he gave many times: "the concept of preventive war does not appear in The Catechism of the Catholic Church."




Somehow, this position isn't given the same focus as his stands against women priests and a married clergy.

[lazer47]

6. And if they did walk away, who is going to support their families??

who is going to feed their children?? who is going to fight with them in court martials?? the Catholic Church???? BULL,, They haven't got a clue of what they are asking,, I ask this because I am Cathoilc

[GliderGuider]

7. And here's the answer

Campaign to Support War Resisters

[lazer47]

8. In theroy that would be nice, in reality it is delusional,,

[GliderGuider]

9. the delusion is yours, buddy

Just stand back and keep out of the way when other people are working, okay?

[lazer47]

10. Yes sir!! anything you say sir!!,, I'm just a 60 yr old veteran that has

been around the world more times than you been a round a bucket looking for a dipper.. EOM

[Mrs. Overall]

12. I absolutely respect your service. I think, however, when we let go of our ideals,

no matter how far out of reach or unrealistic they seem at the time, we are truly sunk. By pursuing the ideal (in this case refusal to fight) perhaps the result will only be a small movement in that direction, but it is movement, nevertheless.

[Joe Chi Minh]

18. Respect his service if you must, but absolutely? Absolutely not. We don't know his

motives or anything about his character. And since when has extensive itinerancy - even with a bucket and spade - been an automatic badge of honour? It's usually an avenue for making a living. No more.

[Bluerthanblue]

14. maybe people could benefit from

your experience? Maybe you can use what you know to help make changes?

Many families would rather have their loved one alive, and struggle to make ends meet, rather than have Dad or Mom go off to fight in this foolish 'war'. Money doesn't teach a kid what they most need to learn- Money doesn't tuck them into bed at night, dry their tears or listen to their troubles.

Our society has come to see money as more important than anything. There is a time when we have to fight against the reigns this capitolist government uses to manipulate individuals to do some pretty awful things.

i'm glad you made it through- i'd like for everyone to be able to say the same.

peace~

[Mrs. Overall]

11. self delete

[Bluerthanblue]

13. amen! it is about time the faith community had the courage to voice this-

i'm glad to hear this.

[hedgehog]

15. My father remembers the pastor of his church standing up and announcing

that any one who wanted to register as a Conscientious Objector would have his full support. This was back during the Korean War.

[xchrom]

17. ...

:applause: :applause: :applause: