A statement of the executive committee of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, 1983
Kappel-am-Albis, Switzerland
Introduction
The struggle for peace and justice was a prominent concern of the general council of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches in Ottawa (August 17-27 1982). As it dealt with its general theme "Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory" it was inevitably led to reflect on the forces of hatred, greed and destruction which threaten humanity today. The debate resulted in several statements on peace and justice (section III, cf. Reformed World 37/3-4. pp.64f., policy reference committee, cf. Reformed World 37/3-4, pp.69ff., special committee on "Called to Witness to the Gospel Today", pp.40-47). The concern was again in the centre of attention when we, the newly elected executive committee of the Alliance came together for our first meeting after the general council
(February 27-March 4 1983). On the basis of the affirmations made by the general council we wish to issue the following call.
An imperative of faith
The general council left no doubt that the commitment to peace and justice is to be understood as a spiritual obligation. It is demanded by Jesus Christ himself. Therefore, issues of peace and justice do not simply belong to the realm of politics and must not be decided exclusively on the grounds of pragmatic "political wisdom". The general council emphatically called on the member churches "to regard the question of peace as not merely a political question but as one that immediately concerns our commitment to the God of peace" (p.64). Living with the gospel implies a constant struggle for the protection of the life which God provides for all humanity and the entire creation. On the basis of this spiritual commitment the church may be led to contradict established policies of governments and the apparent consensus of society
Weapons of mass destruction and nuclear war
Today, the commitment to peace is of the utmost urgency because we are confronted with weapons whose capacity of destruction can lead to the extinction of life. The world lives under the threat of nuclear war. Nobody can be indifferent to this fact.
The general council called on the churches to engage in a determined and concerted struggle against nuclear armament. It made clear that we are summoned to this struggle by the Gospel itself. "Insofar as we compromise with evil by supporting the present irrational arms race we are guilty of disobedience to God and we invite his judgment upon our world. Our attitude towards weapons of mass destruction should be determined by our faith. It is a question of affirming or denying the gospel itself" (p.70).
In recent years several Reformed churches have taken this stand, e.g. the Netherlands Hervormde Kerk. We note that on the issue of nuclear armament a similar consensus is emerging as on the issue of racial discrimination. The moderamen (board) of the Reformed churches in the Federal Republic of Germany went a step further by declaring "no" to nuclear arms to be an issue of status confessionis: "...for us the status confessionis is given with it because the attitude taken to means of mass destruction has to do with affirming or denying the Gospel itself." Several of us feel the use of the term status confessionis to be inappropriate in this context but we can accept the statement as a call to renewed witness on this issue. All churches have to see themselves unavoidably challenged to respond to the question of nuclear armament clearly and bindingly as a question of faith and obedience in hearing the scriptures and praying for the guidance of the Spirit.
What does the struggle against nuclear armament imply for the churches?
In our judgment it implies
- declaring unambiguously that under no circumstances the use of nuclear weapons of any kind can be justified theologically or morally;
- affirming now that no Christian can in good conscience fight for a country which uses nuclear weapons; the attitude of the churches to issues of peace as they arise today must be governed by this affirmation;
- denouncing the folly of the nuclear armament race which increases the risk of nuclear war and consumes resources vitally needed for overcoming the problems of hunger and poverty in today's world;
- making clear that, in the long run, a secure peace cannot be obtained by the strategy of mutual deterrence; though the equilibrium of forces may prevent war for a limited period and may therefore serve a purpose at this stage, it does not provide the basis for a long-term solution;
- supporting all genuine efforts at disarmament through multilateral as well as bilateral negotiations;
- inviting the governments of our country to take measures which contribute to building up mutual trust, e.g. renouncing the first use of nuclear weapons or undertaking limited unilateral reduction of the nuclear arms arsenal;
- encouraging movements in our country protesting against the production of nuclear arms and interpreting their aspirations and demands to the political authorities.
- We are aware of the enormous difficulties in translating such an attitude to nuclear arms into political reality. We recognize and share in these difficulties. On the other hand, we are convinced that only on the basis of a determined stand can the political will to find a way out of the impasse and new solutions grow.
Peace and justice
Peace is more than the absence of war. Peace means living together as a community in mutual respect, solidarity and justice. Commitment to peace includes therefore much more than the struggle against nuclear armament. There is today an acute danger of being exclusively concerned with the horrifying vision of nuclear catastrophe and of overlooking the other forces which threaten humanity - hunger, poverty, exploitation, discrimination, repression leading inevitably to the violation of fundamental human rights. Above all, we must not forget the many wars which have been conducted in our time with conventional weapons and have caused the death of millions. Avoiding nuclear conflict as pressing a task as it is does not yet mean peace. There is no commitment to peace without an equal commitment to justice. Peace and justice are inseparable.
The general council pointed particularly to two areas where a renewed commitment is required:
- Peace is threatened by the intolerable injustice of hunger, starvation and poverty. While the gap between rich and poor nations is increasing the readiness of the rich nations for sharing their wealth is diminishing. There seems to be a growing acquiescence with the present situation. A new initiative is needed to break the deadlock (Reformed World, pp.65 and 70; Called to Witness to the Gospel Today, pp.42-44).
- Peace is threatened by discrimination and repression. If the churches are to serve the cause of peace they need to make their own the cause of human rights. They are summoned by Christ to be present where the dignity of human persons is at stake, especially where fundamental human rights are violated. A movement of protest is required to maintain the protection at least of a minimal core of human rights. As part of this movement the general council urged the member churches to engage in a campaign against the use of torture (Reformed World, pp. 72-74).
A covenant for peace and justice
On the basis of these considerations we call on the member churches of the Alliance to stand together and to renew their commitment to peace and justice. Each church needs to bear witness primarily in its own situation, but more and more we must also learn to witness and act together through concerted efforts. At a time when the struggle for peace and justice meets with increasing resistance and many are tempted to lose heart we need the witness and encouragement of the churches and Christians of other countries. May the communion in the Alliance increasingly become a source of common spiritual renewal.
At the same time we dare to propose that all churches which confess Jesus Christ as God and Saviour, whatever their tradition, should form a covenant of peace and justice. Though they still differ on many issues and cannot yet unite as the one Church of Jesus Christ they all face the same challenges with regard to peace and justice in the present world. They can form a covenant for the particular purpose of a common witness in this field. In order to give visible expression to this covenant, we suggest, under the auspices of the World Council of Churches, the preparation and early summoning of a special ecumenical gathering in which all churches would participate and bear witness to ways of peace and justice.
We know that we cannot determine the course of history. The future is not in our hands. God has his own ways of bringing about his kingdom. But as we pray "Your kingdom come" we need to do whatever we can to oppose the destruction of life. As long as we live we are called to be witnesses to God's love for all people and his whole creation.
