Ecumenical Document Rejects Military Force as Path to Peace

Christian peace movement leaders in Germany have called for a fundamental rethink of security policy and peace ethics. In an ecumenical text titled Whoever Wants Peace Must Talk to the Enemy, presented on Friday, they reject the notion that peace can be achieved through military force or the threat of its use.

The authors point to international law and its consistent application as the key to the just resolution of conflicts.

They argue that Western politicians should not justify aggressive wars, even against regimes that violate human rights, and call on churches to be more self-critical and to honestly assess Western complicity in global conflicts.

The document differs from recent positions of both the Evangelical Church in Germany and the German Bishops' Conference, which, while favoring non-violence, allow for military defense as a last resort.

The text also calls for a categorical rejection of nuclear weapons, accession to the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the recognition of conscientious objection as a normal Christian position. According to the authors, the concept of just war is untenable under current conditions.

(katholisch, bak)