The Wisconsin Council of Churches, a community of Churches that seek to follow Jesus’ way of love, grieves the violence of terrorism and the suffering this violence is inflicting on people all over the world. We also grieve the violence of military action that accepts the deaths of innocent people as a price worth paying in fighting terrorism. We lift up the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. , who said, “Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: Only love can do that.”

We oppose a U.S. attack on Iraq at the present time. We believe that we have not yet exhausted the other options available to us for dealing with whatever threat Iraq poses to the world community. If these options are exhausted, it would be in the best interests of the global community if any action were authorized by and under the auspices of the United Nations.

At the heart of our concern about this matter are humanitarian issues. With Riad Jarjour, General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches, we believe that “the issue to be kept squarely in the forefront is the humanitarian one. There is a whole population of ordinary and decent people whose desire is survival with dignity. Violence will only cause their circumstances to deteriorate further. What is needed is a sustained determined diplomatic and political effort that engages the Iraqi government directly, and a sustained campaign to re-empower the Iraqi people and restore their dignity…. From the churches’ point of view, it is also consistent with the priorities of the gospel that seeks healing for the nations and the dignity for human beings.”

Realizing that the members of our congregations may disagree with one another on this matter and that we have much to learn from one another, we urge the leaders of our congregations to engage their members in dialogue, remembering that the purpose of such dialogue is not to win an argument but to discern God’s will. We also encourage members of our congregations to communicate their positions to their elected leaders and to pray for a just and nonviolent resolution to the problem of terrorism and for peace with justice in the Middle East and around the world.

The Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Council of Churches requested that member judicatories send this statement and other resources, including the letter to President Bush signed by 50 U.S. religious leaders, to their congregations and encourage them to engage in dialogue on this issue.