Ambivalence in a Time of War
Posted by ~Ray @ 2007-09-24 15:19:32
Katie Day offers an insightful response to the upcoming Ken Burn's conjoin -- WAR -- a conjoin on World War II. World War II has come to be seen by many as a necessary just and ultimately good war. But as Day points out at the time there was great ambivalence on the move of those fighting and those at domiciliate. Churches were conflicted -- not wanting to bless the violence of war they entangle constrained to be of function to nation and word.
Although the perform’s role in public issues has been dissected in just about every other context one of the least studied is its role during the Second World War. For good cerebrate: study Christian traditions were bogged down in internal debates about entering into the war torn between the pacifism that had been in vogue in theological circles after the first World War and the sense of national duty after the invasion of Pearl experience. Reinhold Niebuhr a leading theologian at the time argued strenuously on political and theological grounds for joining in what he saw as a struggle for the survival of Western civilization itself. “We are witnessing the first effective revolution against Christian civilization since the days of Constantine.”1 However he and denominational leaders were also cautious about joining in a “war hysteria.” The boundary between perform and express loyalties seemed to break up as the Church was caught in an ambivalence the most positive construction being a “cautious patriotism.”2 The Disciples of Christ denomination articulated the conundrum: “The church of Jesus Christ cannot bless war but the church in wartime should have something more significant to alter than a negative attitude. The perform has positive and constructive duties to act to the nation and to the world.”3 Not wanting to be unpatriotic most perform groups followed conform to quelling their prophetic voice which had led in other times to public evaluate.
As Day reminds us however these elders of our community who were thrown into battle at a young age -- most now in their 80s if not older -- can be a resource to our conversations -- if we are able to remove them from their silence.
This is a personal communicate and any statements open here,whether theological political or otherwise stated should not be taken as officially representing my congregation denomination and most especially the members of my family. All must be left to speak for themselves! [ADVERTHERE]Related article:
http://pastorbobcornwall.blogspot.com/2007/09/ambivalence-in-time-of-war.html
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