Churches and the war …

THE EDITORIAL "A strange silence" (Dec. 28) asks where the voice of the church is in response to the Iraq war, suggesting that the church ought to be one calling for repentance and a change of course to make amends for past failures. As someone who has opposed this war from the beginning, I am sympathetic. But as a pastor, I must point out that the situation "on the ground" in actual congregations is more dicey than the editorial acknowledges.

In my congregation, there are many devout Christians who are downright passionate about what a grand thing our adventure in Iraq has been. I have had long discussions with people who see no wrong in what the U.S. has done and who are unmoved by appeals to "just war theory" because they claim even that needs retooling in a post 9/11 world.

In my public prayers, I have regularly prayed for restraint for our leaders, and I have yet to pray for American troops without praying also for the innocent in Iraq. But to many in my congregation, a call for any form of repentance would be read as a political move on my part.

I suspect many pastors are caught on the horns of this dilemma. That is why to my mind the silence of the church is less strange than the noisiness by which some Christians are so enthusiastic about a war that was clearly fought on false (or at least woefully mistaken) pretenses and that has manifestly led to massive suffering that could have been avoided.

Scott Hoezee

Calvin Christian Reformed Church,

Grand Rapids, Mich.

You argue that churches are lacking in criticism of the Iraq war for various reasons. One reason cited: "There is no military draft to stoke the fires of protest."

Those serving in the military currently are not a representative cross section of society at large. A great number of young men and women have enlisted for economic reasons--for expanded opportunities not available in civilian life.

The privileged part of society is less likely to use the military as a way to get a leg up. When wars of choice come along, those who see no one in their circle being called away are unlikely to feel much of an emotional involvement in such a war.

Another disturbing part of an all-volunteer military is that if the government believes that the majority of the populace is disengaged in what is going on militarily, it may also be convinced that there will be fewer objections to further military expansions.

Joel W. Jenkins

Medinah, Ill.

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