A New Approach to Peace
by
Gene Knudsen Hoffman
First published in The Churchman, August-September 1986
I was in the Soviet Union when we Americans bombed Libya. I was stunned. So were the Soviets who fearfully questioned me - "Why?" I had no answer. However, one Soviet asked me this question "What is your President's religion? Does it affect his foreign policy?" My response was blithe - "Oh, he has an Armageddon view of the world. He's preparing for 'The Last Battle.' I'll send you an article that explains it." I didn't really hear what I was saying.
When I returned, I heard it. The question became central to me. President Reagan had rejected Gorbachev's initiative for test bans; he was widening the illegal war in Nicaragua; a new budget for 3 trillion dollars was passed; the SALT treaty was rescinded. Congress was doing politicking as usual.
President Reagan and his cobelievers do not comprehend our calls for peace. They hear a different drummer, have a different vision. It is a vision that tells them that ending this world, even in nuclear holocaust, is a divine imperative. The Last Battle must be fought. The good must be saved. The anti-Christ must be destroyed. And, the anti-Christ includes all who oppose their Armageddon vision.
I do not believe we can reach President Reagan and his administration with reasoned or impassioned opposition to their policies. I do not believe there is any way to persuade them to substitute talk for tanks, negotiation for nuclear weapons, compassion for coercion.
I believe we must devise totally new ways to bring an end to this reign of destruction.
But first, we must listen. We must listen to our inner voice for fresh insights. These can come in many ways - through study, prayer for wisdom, meditation, or just being open to new possibilities. At the same time we must listen respectfully to the Armageddon voices remembering they reflect the religious persuasions of members of our government. I believe we will learn what they are - if we listen. We can help Americans recognize that the Soviets are not the Anti-Christ, but are human beings whose help we need to bring sanity back into the world.
One truth I've already learned from the Armageddon voices is that the time has come for ending the world of exploitation, imperialism, and war. It is the time for recognizing that what harms any person or any part of the earth, harms us all. The nuclear bomb we drop falls on us, whether through radioactive rain, or the enmity it creates that sends poisoned darts back into us.
The world of sharing and caring alone can bring peace.
Ms. Knudsen Hoffman is Program Associate of US-USSR Reconciliation, The American and International Fellowships of Reconciliation. She lives in Santa Barbara, California.
Gene Knudsen Hoffman invites comments and responses by fax to her fax number (in the USA): (805) 966-4337.
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