REMINDER: 1) Check out this week's broadcast of ''Truth ThatTransforms'' (http://www.truthinaction.org/index.php/tr/uth-that-transforms This week’s sermon is entitled “ A Godly Education" and explains what is happening in our public schools. It also presents a feature about a courageous home-schooling German family; and 2) I came across this fantastic message by Jentezen Franklin on 9/6 that could simply be entitled, "Be There!" This message is well worth your time. http://event.cbn.com/weekofprayer/2013-fall/default.aspx?ventID=143699&cpid=DM1309061 PLEASE take time to check these programs out!
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: "Syrian Christians Brace for Strike, Ask for Prayer," - by Gary Lane, August 31, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/Syrian-Christians-Brace-for-Strike-Ask-for-Prayer/"As Syrians brace themselves for a possible U.S. military attack, many of the county's Christians are praying for divine intervention. They say military action against the Assad regime will only bring them greater hardship and suffering and they're asking Christians worldwide to pray that God intervenes to bring peace to their nation. They believe the collective prayers of Christians around the world could reverse an escalating conflict..."
[EGYPT - Continue to pray for the tense situation in Egypt and especially for the Christian believers who are being targeted with violence by Muslim Brotherhood members.]
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST- Update on Kenneth Bae: "US Ready to Bargain with N. Korea for Bae's Release,"- CBNNews.com, Aug 14, 2013 http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/S-Ready-to-Bargain-with-N-Korea-for-Baes-Release/ - The United States is willing to engage North Korea to secure the release of imprisoned American Christian Kenneth Bae. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the United States is "willing to consider a number of different options" to bring him home.In a video recently released by a North Korean newspaper, Bae requested the United States send a high-ranking official to North Korea to seek his pardon. It is unclear if he spoke of his own volition in the video. Bae, 45, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for sharing his faith. He suffers health problems such as diabetes and is currently hospitalized.[PRAY for 1) God's healing of and presence with Pastor Bae, 2) His earliest release by the North Korean government, and 3) God's comfort for his family and friends.]
UPDATE: Iran Rejects Saeed's Appeal, Family 'Devastated' , CBNNews.com, August 27, 2013 http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/Iran-Rejects-Saeeds-Appeal-Family-Devastated/ "By keeping the 8-year prison sentence in place, Pastor Saeed, now potentially faces additional beatings and abuse inside Evin Prison -- treatment that has significantly weakened him during his first year in prison,"....{
“Abandoned” For Christ" - Graham Calls On White House To Support Abedini - By Dr. Tom Askew, Aug.8, http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/opinion
Franklin Graham is the latest to join the chorus of voices calling for U.S. State Department and White House officials to take a more vocal role in protesting the Iranian imprisonment of American pastor Saeed Abedini. September 26 will mark the one year anniversary of Abedini’s imprisonment for allegedly “endangering the national security” of Iran.
Graham pointed out that, in contrast to Iranian accusations, “Pastor Saeed was in Iran trying to help children. With the permission of Iran’s government, he was working to build an orphanage. But his humanitarian mission led to an arrest on bogus charges and nearly a year of inhumane treatment, simply because he loves Jesus Christ.”...
Behind the scenes, more than 600,000 people around the world have signed a petition sponsored by ACLJ in support of pastor Abedini. A concerted movement this past May brought together Christians from many nations to set aside Pentecost to pray for Abedini. On June 13, demonstrations were held at Iranian embassies in at least six countries to protest Abedini’s treatment. And, on July 29, Arizona Republican Representative Trent Franks spoke on the floor of the House to urge other Congressmen to join him in “adopting” Pastor Abedini through the bipartisan Defending Freedoms Project.
Saeed’s response…and yours - Through his family living in Iran, Pastor Abedini has been made aware of these efforts on his behalf, and is grateful. “I heard that the persecution, my arrest and imprisonment has united churches from different denominations, from different cities and countries. That the churches have united together in prayer to put one request (my freedom) on one day (Pentecost) before God,” he wrote in a letter.
The story of Saeed Abedini, the jihad against Syrian Christians, the attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt, and the ongoing desecration of churches in Nigeria and India should cause every American to reflect on the blessings of freedom still enjoyed in this nation.
PRAY: - For comfort and peace for Saeed’s wife and children here in the U.S.
- For a strong witness and testimony from Pastor Abedini in the prison where God has placed him
- For Christians around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ
- BOLDly (Beside Our Leaders Daily) for leadership from the White House and State Department in defending the freedoms of Abedini and other Americans
Go to SaveSaeed.org to sign a petition over 600,000 others asking for his immediate release.
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"Would an Attack on Syria be a 'Just War'? - No Easy Answers Here," - by: John Stonestreet|Breakpoint.org:September 9, 2013; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/breakpoint-commentaries-archive/entry/13/23285?spMailingID=6918788&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=87614876&spReportId=ODc2MTQ4NzYS1
I wish Chuck Colson were still with us. With the nation on the verge of attacking Syria, I would love to talk to him about what’s going on behind the scenes at the White House and on Capitol Hill. No doubt Chuck would have quickly turned the conversation to a topic that concerned him more and more in the wake of 9/11: the question of Just War.Franklin Graham is the latest to join the chorus of voices calling for U.S. State Department and White House officials to take a more vocal role in protesting the Iranian imprisonment of American pastor Saeed Abedini. September 26 will mark the one year anniversary of Abedini’s imprisonment for allegedly “endangering the national security” of Iran.
Graham pointed out that, in contrast to Iranian accusations, “Pastor Saeed was in Iran trying to help children. With the permission of Iran’s government, he was working to build an orphanage. But his humanitarian mission led to an arrest on bogus charges and nearly a year of inhumane treatment, simply because he loves Jesus Christ.”...
Behind the scenes, more than 600,000 people around the world have signed a petition sponsored by ACLJ in support of pastor Abedini. A concerted movement this past May brought together Christians from many nations to set aside Pentecost to pray for Abedini. On June 13, demonstrations were held at Iranian embassies in at least six countries to protest Abedini’s treatment. And, on July 29, Arizona Republican Representative Trent Franks spoke on the floor of the House to urge other Congressmen to join him in “adopting” Pastor Abedini through the bipartisan Defending Freedoms Project.
Saeed’s response…and yours - Through his family living in Iran, Pastor Abedini has been made aware of these efforts on his behalf, and is grateful. “I heard that the persecution, my arrest and imprisonment has united churches from different denominations, from different cities and countries. That the churches have united together in prayer to put one request (my freedom) on one day (Pentecost) before God,” he wrote in a letter.
The story of Saeed Abedini, the jihad against Syrian Christians, the attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt, and the ongoing desecration of churches in Nigeria and India should cause every American to reflect on the blessings of freedom still enjoyed in this nation.
"Would an Attack on Syria be a 'Just War'? - No Easy Answers Here," - by: John Stonestreet|Breakpoint.org:September 9, 2013; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/breakpoint-commentaries-archive/entry/13/23285?spMailingID=6918788&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=87614876&spReportId=ODc2MTQ4NzYS1
In response to the Syrian regime’s use of chemical weapons, would a U.S. strike against Syria be justified in light of the principles of Just War theory?
Just War theory helps Christians think about war within a Christian framework. From Augustine to Aquinas to the Reformers, Christian thinkers have generally agreed that for a war to be just, it must meet the following conditions: The cause itself must be just—as well as the intention behind going to war. War must be waged by a legitimate authority. Force used in war must be proportionate to the threat and must not target non-combatants. War must be a last resort, and there must be a reasonable chance of success.
Let’s look at each of these in regards to Syria. And folks, I think you’ll see with me that there are no easy answers here.
First, is the cause just? The Obama administration is making the case that it must act to stop the Assad regime from using chemical weapons. That certainly does seem like a just cause.However, as Gerard Powers at the Institute for Peace Studies at Notre Dame writes, just cause is “generally limited to defense against aggression.” In Syria, as in most civil wars, both sides are aggressors. In Syria, we would be taking sides, not acting against aggression.
That brings us to the question of intention. Sen. John McCain added language to a Senate resolution that would commit the U.S. to changing the momentum on the battlefield in favor of the rebels, which is highly problematic from a just war perspective.
Legitimate authority poses another tricky question. The administration points to the 1925 Geneva Protocol against chemical weapons and the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention signed by 189 countries. However, as the Washington Post points out, there is no enforcement mechanism in these documents. And many countries, friend and foe alike, are questioning the legality of a U.S. attack without U.N. approval. (Of course, if the U.S. were acting in self-defense—which we aren’t—the U.N. wouldn’t be an issue.)
Now proportionality: According to Gerard Powers, “the overall destruction expected from war must be proportionate to the good to be achieved.” In that sense, launching missiles to destroy the Syrian military’s ability to launch chemical attacks seems reasonable. However, it also appears that the Syrians have begun hiding military assets in the midst of civilian populations. Aiming for those assets would put many civilian lives at risk. And it’s possible that a U.S. “intervention” could lead to more chemical attacks, a regional war, or a jihadist takeover of Syria. As Rabbi Michael Broyde wrote in the Huffington Post, “In the real world, just war theory has to actually work, and not just theoretically work. Doing nothing is a moral option when doing anything makes a bad situation worse.”
Another question: Are we at the “last resort” stage? Have we exhausted all diplomatic and economic options? I don’t know that we have.
And finally, do we have a reasonable chance of success? Answering this one requires that the administration and Congress define what success is before we go to war.
Hard questions; no easy answers. That’s where we are. On the whole, my sense is that an American attack on Syria probably would not meet the standards of just war.I wonder how Chuck would have seen it. How do you see it?
... And in the meantime, I’ll pray for our leaders and for peace. And I hope you’ll join me.
FURTHER READING AND INFORMATION
Would an Attack on Syria be a 'Just War'?: No Easy Answers Here - Next Steps
Syria: The Hardest Question - Roberto Rivera | BreakPoint.org | August 29, 2013; http://www.breakpoint.org/features-columns/breakpoint-columns/bp-columns-archive/entry/2/23213
Would Bombing Syria Be a 'Just War'? - Robert P. George | Wall Street Journal | September 5, 2013; http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324577304579056733172069694.html?mod=itp
Humanitarian Intervention in Syria: A Classic Just War? - Gerard Powers | Huffington Post | July 26, 2012; http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gerard-powers/humanitarian-intervention-and-just-war-in-syria_b_1707436.html
Syria Conflict and Just War Theory: The Ethics of Military Intervention - Yonat Shimron | Religion News Service, Huffington Post | August 30, 2013; http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/30/syria-conflict-just-war-theory_n_3839287.html?utm_hp_ref=religion
History lesson: When the United States looked the other way on chemical weapons - Glenn Kessler | The Washington Post | September 4, 2013; http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/history-lesson-when-the-united-states-looked-the-other-way-on-chemical-weapons/2013/09/04/0ec828d6-1549-11e3-961c-f22d3aaf19ab_blog.html
http://www.firstthings.com/article/2007/01/just-waras-it-was-and-is-2
New War, Old Principles - J. Budziszewski | World Magazine | September 29, 2001; http://www.worldmag.com/2001/09/new_war_old_principles
Listening to Pacifists - Darrell Cole | First Things | August/September 2002; http://www.firstthings.com/article/2007/01/listening-to-pacifists-50
BOOKS:
Between Pacifism and Jihad: Just War and Christian Tradition - J. Daryl Charles | InterVarsity Press | June 2005
Summa Theologica- St. Thomas Aquinas | Benziger Bros. | 1947
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