Official Denominational Positions on the War in Iraq

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
At the U.S. conference in February for the World Council of Churches, the global governing body issued a statement saying the U.S.-led war in Iraq was a mistake.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Since the invasion of Iraq, Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson has repeatedly voiced his opposition to the war. The denomination’s official statement reads in part: “Any decision for war must be a mournful one.”

Episcopal Church
Before the war, the bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United States wrote a letter to Congress, saying that while church leaders recognize that war is sometimes unavoidable, “we do not believe that war with Iraq can be justified at this time.”

Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
In a March 2003 letter to pastors, the Rev. Gerald Kieschnick, president, wrote: “War is a scourge. It is public admission of the sinfulness of human nature, and an open confession that, despite our best efforts, we cannot bring lasting peace on earth because our hearts are not perfect.”

National Association of Evangelicals
The Evangelicals drafted a letter to President Bush in February 2003 asking that all other means of action be exhausted before going to war. It said a clear plan and strategy for Iraq was needed before bringing Saddam Hussein’s regime to an end.

National Council of Churches
The council urged President Bush in 2002 to “step back from the brink of war.” A month later, the group adopted a resolution urging the president to do everything possible, short of war, to ensure that the Iraqi people complied with United Nations’ requests.

Presbyterian Church (USA)
In a 2004 resolution, church leaders affirmed their solidarity with Iraqi Christians, called for pastoral support for the military and prayers for peace as well as a mission plan for helping rebuild the nation. Church leaders examined the war in Iraq in light of the Just War Theory.

Southern Baptist Convention
The Baptists may be the only denomination that has not spoken out against the war. Richard Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, has praised President Bush’s decision to invade Iraq.

United Church of Christ
“As United Church of Christ leaders committed to God’s reign of justice and peace in the world and to the just conduct of our nation, we firmly oppose this advance to war. Striking against Iraq now will not serve to prevent terrorism or defend our nation’s interests. We fear that war would only provoke greater regional instability and lead to the mass destruction it is intended to prevent.”

United Methodist Church
In May 2004, the church issued a statement that lamented the continued use of warfare by the U.S. and coalition troops. The statement included a passage from Micah 4:3 reminding the faithful that God “shall judge between many peoples, and shall arbitrate strong nations far away.” Micah 4:3 is famous for its call for nations to “beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks,” and expresses the hope that humankind will no longer “lift up sword against nation, and neither shall they learn war any more.”

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
In a February 2003 statement, the bishops said the conference “continues to question the moral legitimacy of any pre-emptive, unilateral use of military force to overthrow the government of Iraq. To permit pre-emptive or preventive uses of military force to overthrow threatening or hostile regimes would create deeply troubling moral and legal precedents. Based on the facts that are known, it is difficult to justify the resort to war against Iraq, lacking clear and adequate evidence of an imminent attack of a grave nature or Iraq’s involvement in the terrorist attacks of September 11.”

Sources: disciplesworld.com; elca.org; episcopalchurch.org; lcms.org; nae.net; pcusa.org; sbc.net; umc.org; usccb.org.

MORE:
• Fighting the Good Fight
• What is a Just War?
• The Soul of a Soldier
• Denominational Statements on Iraq
• About the Authors