Statement
on Opposition to War
Approved by Orange Grove Monthly Meeting of the
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) on 7/14/02
Believing
there is no conflict that can be truly resolved by war, and
further, that war usually makes the underlying problems worse,
we, the members of Orange Grove Monthly Meeting of the Religious
Society of Friends (Quakers), utterly oppose war as a tool of
governmental policy and practice. We stand personally and corporately
for confronting conflicts and injustice using nonviolence, patience
and intelligence to reach reconciliation and justice. We also
support young men and women who refuse military service on religious
or moral grounds and who wish to become conscientious objectors
to war. The Religious Society of Friends believes there is that
of God in every person and that taking the life of another person
is inconsistent with God's will. As one of the "historic peace
churches," we advocate nonviolent approaches to resolving conflicts.
We hold this position, not purely for idealistic reasons, but
because we believe nonviolent approaches are the only ones that
will work. These approaches involve speaking the truth as we
see it, listening respectfully to opposing points of view, and
having the patience to work toward mutual agreement on solutions,
resisting the temptation to use coercion or manipulation. We
have seen nonviolent approaches work in the past. In the last
century, we have witnessed movements led by Mahatma Gandhi in
India, Martin Luther King in the United States, Lec Walesa in
Poland, and Nelson Mandela in South Africa, all of whom advocated
confronting injustice using nonviolent methods which resulted
in more equitable resolutions than could have been achieved
through violence. We believe modern conflicts are potentially
so dangerous and modern weapons so destructive that personal
and public attention must be paid to the prevention of all war.
Conflicts must be resolved before they reach the point of national,
ethnic, or religious rage and despair that lead to war. We believe
that terrorism can end only if we search out the causes of the
hatred that fuels acts of terrorism, and if we find ways to
remove these causes.
The
explosive danger in worldwide conflicts today prompts us to
renew our position in opposition to war and to make this position
known to others.
OTHER
QUAKER STATEMENTS & LETTERS
Reviewed:
09/06/2005
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