March 23, 2003
Theology behind Christians' polar split on war By By RHONDA PARKS MANVILLE Conservative Christians who support President Bush's war with Iraq as a righteous cause are turning to the pages of their Bibles for guidance, getting on their knees, and asking God to give the president strength and wisdom. Members of some liberal Christian churches have been in the spotlight for expressing their antiwar views at vigils, marches and rallies, but at Grace Baptist Church in Santa Barbara, the Rev. E. R. Mitchell and his entire congregation are supporting Mr. Bush. "Although I don't think you could find one person in our church in favor of war, you also will not find them out at the marches, which I personally find reprehensible," said the Rev. Mitchell, a former enlisted man in the Air Force. "These people who light a candle and think that it will all be wonderful are naive. They say war does not accomplish anything, but in World War II it certainly did." The polar differences with which some Christians view the war issue -- with antiwar protesters on one side, and supporters of the invasion on the other -- can be attributed to fundamental differences in theology, scholars and clergy members say. A basic tenet of conservative Christianity, for example, is that the Bible is the infallible word of God. In Bible study groups and in Sunday worship services, Santa Barbara County evangelicals are praying with a sense of urgency, confident that God's divine power is available to intervene in history, to heal all imperfection and to empower Christ's followers toward righteousness. Catholic and mainline Protestant denominations -- including President Bush's own United Methodist sect -- have instead focused on the messages of peace contained in the Gospels. Many of their arguments go beyond biblical references to include political considerations and teachings on peace by theologians such as St. Augustine. In a meeting with Saddam Hussein earlier this year, papal envoy Cardinal Roger Etchegaray said, "In the spirit of Abraham may I quote Jesus Christ's words: 'Happy be the peacemakers.' " But others stress different scripture. "We are praying to the God outside of time to intervene, as time has been the problem, the dilemma," said the Rev. Hans Kistner of First Baptist Church, whose congregation represents various viewpoints on war. "We don't want war, but we are aware of the threats and the oppression. There is no lack of support for the president or any of our leaders." Part of being a good Christian, several evangelical ministers say, is not to shrink from evil, but to confront it. "The more conservative side of the church would hold to the position that there is real evil in the world, and part of the responsibility of good people, of spiritual people, is to recognize it and deal with it if they can," said the Rev. Ricky Ryan of Calvary Chapel in Santa Barbara. "That idea flies a little in the face of some of the more liberal churches and the New Age, which says that man is basically good. We don't hold that view. The human heart is wicked, and that's why we turn to God.
"We see the president is ready to step up to the job and we say that's great," he added. "That's his role, and when evil is addressed, the whole world benefits." Evangelical Christians are some of President Bush's most dedicated supporters, according to polls. Many conservative Christians believe that the current events in the Middle East are foretold in the Bible, which outlines how Christian forces continuously meet and conquer demonic forces. One of the most vocally Christian presidents in recent years, Mr. Bush shares this biblical view, which is why conservative Christians say they feel quite comfortable turning this problem over to the president -- and to God in prayer. Praying for one's leaders, according to the book of Romans, is a primary obligation of the faithful, a teaching that conservative Christians take extremely seriously. It is also in Romans that evangelicals find support for the idea that God allows governments to use swords to eradicate evil, which justifies President Bush's attack on Iraq. "I believe these quote-unquote Christian leaders who are going against Bush are going against scripture," said the Rev. Mitchell. "Even if you are a Democrat, you're supposed to pray for your Republican president. It is a less glamorous thing, but a lot of us are on our knees." Another faith-related factor that makes some conservative Christians more likely to support the war with Iraq is their fervent defense of the state of Israel. By their interpretation, the Bible states that the Middle East will be consumed by war at the end of the world, concluding with an event in which Jews accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Jews and Christians will then bond to form a "New Israel," and be saved from the fires of the Earth to enjoy everlasting life, the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham, in the evangelical view. This interpretation of scripture is highly upsetting to many in the Jewish faith, but it has also made conservative Christians some of the most reliable and generous advocates for the Jewish state. "We are their closest allies, and that strong alliance is extremely important because of the threat they are under," said the Rev. Marty Reitzin of Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Goleta. "That is not to say that there is a carte blanche view that the state of Israel can do no wrong -- I have very real concerns about their treatment of the Palestinian people. But for the church there is a huge indebtedness to the Jewish nation, to its leaders, its prophets and the Jewish people in general. "The evangelical church definitely sees its fate intertwined with the destiny of Israel." Some critics of the evangelical world view say that such literal interpretations of scripture can lead to the notion that Christians have a divine right to declare war against people of other faiths, reminiscent of the Crusades -- precisely the mind-set which led to Osama bin Laden's declaration of war on the U.S. This criticism denotes a misinterpretation of how the scripture is viewed, said the Rev. Daniel Cabrera of Victory Outreach Church in Goleta. "It's not that this means that we can bring God into this to justify a Christian war, or a war between Christians and Muslims," he explained. "It's that the Bible states that a government have a right to avenge evil-doers, to protect themselves. Since we know that President Bush has a strong faith toward God, his actions can be seen as a confirmation of that view." |
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