
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 20, 1991                   TAG: 9103200421
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-12   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

CHURCHES KEPT SILENT DURING THE GULF WAR

HERE IN THE Southern United States, religion plays an important role in people's lives. There is a church on every corner.

When the Gulf War started, there should have been a massive outcry from these church communities supporting the principles, "thou shalt not kill," "love thy enemy." Instead there was silence. The few critical voices were stifled.

These Christian churches have military chaplains, weapons are blessed, and prayers are said for bomber pilots. Christianity has degenerated to an ideology of political obedience. Let us not forget that Jesus was a rebel. There are vehement protests for unborn life, but who protests to protect the lives of existing human beings?

If there is hope for mankind, one cannot find it in the established churches. It may come from peace groups or ecological groups. Within them, the true religion is alive.

Peace activists have a religiously oriented conscience. They know that war can destroy life and act accordingly. They find it unbearable to spend billions of dollars for weapons while millions of people are starving, and they vote accordingly. They hold non-violent protests without being afraid of the consequences and live accordingly.

Churches can help create peace, but not by pious prayers and sermons held behind closed doors. Peace is achieved by actively and openly protesting against the politics of death. Let us hope that the church communities wake up and finally follow Jesus' mission: to help heal the world. DAGMAR SCHRAMM NATHALIE NETZER GEORGE SCHRAMM ROANOKE

by CNB