'Do we believe that the many Friends who decided to resist Nazism by force had abandoned their commitment to peace?' Photo: by Zaur Ibrahimov on Unsplash
Fighting talk: Don Rowe’s Thought for the week
‘I had reservations about absolute pacifism, but was committed to being a peacemaker.’
After another Remembrance Sunday, I think many Friends feel a tension between honouring those who fought in wars and staying true to our Peace Testimony. The invasion of Ukraine, and the actions of terrorist groups, present us with a challenge: would we be prepared to fight those who will not be persuaded by argument? Do we support the military when, under UN resolution, it acts to prevent genocide? This problem has faced Christians for centuries. Augustine is said to be the first to elaborate ‘Just War Theory’, which argues that, in certain circumstances, the use of force is morally justified.
