Friends, with a heavy heart and hope for peace, I share this contribution from John Morehead, Custodian of the Evangelical Chapter of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy. Be sure to also read my interview with John from last March. –Paul
Over the course of the last few months, the news media has shared the concerns of political leaders and their citizens over the militant group the Islamic State of Iraq (ISIL or ISIS), which has moved with shocking speed and brutality from Syria into Iraq. Along the way, ISIL has murdered people across the religious and ethnic spectrum—from Muslims, to Christians, to Yazidis, has threatened Christians with either conversion or expulsion from their homes, and has turned thousands of people into refugees
Just over the past days, shock and outrage have come from the international community in response to a (confirmed authentic) video of the beheading of James Foley, an American journalist, done in response to U.S. airstrikes in Iraq.
What options are available for a Christian response to such things? With ongoing tensions and violence posed by terrorism inspired by Islamic extremism, this is unfortunately a question that we will need to wrestle with for some time to come.
One option is to counter violence with violence through military action. Recently, a group of over 50 conservative religious leaders signed a petition calling on President Obama to increase the use of military force to destroy the Islamic State. This included some prominent Evangelicals—such as Russell Moore of the Southern Baptist Convention, and Jim Daley of Focus on the Family. At times, the use of armed violence seems necessary to combat evil (Rom. 13:3-4), but what other tools should Evangelicals have in their toolkit in responding to this challenge?
Response 1: Promote peace
First, we need to ask ourselves “What would Jesus do?” in response to such violence, whether religiously motivated or not. In the recent history of the church we have tended to embrace theories of “just war” as ethical justification for armed conflict, but perhaps it is time for us to step back and take a fresh look at Jesus’ teachings again. He taught that his disciples should be peacemakers (Mat. 5:9), and advocated active peacemaking in his life and ministry in connection with the gospel, particularly in Luke (Lk. 1:79; 2:14; 7:50; 10:5-6; 19:38, 42; 24:36). In addition, he taught that those who follow him should love their enemies (Mat. 5:43-48).
To ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do?” in response to violence around the world can have radical implications for our discipleship.
This doesn’t mean that Christians have no right of self-defense, or should be the world’s doormats. But in light of Jesus’ teaching and example we should pause for some difficult self-reflection. Is it possible that we have not followed Christ in the way of peacemaking and have been too quick to sanction the sword, often in the name of promoting freedom and democracy? To ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do?” in response to violence around the world, and to advocate and live in terms of enemy love and peacemaking can have radical implications for our discipleship.
Response 2: Learn about other faiths
Second, we need to develop a greater sense of religious literacy, and encourage an informed faith-based diplomacy among our national leaders. In terms of religious literacy, in 2010, the Pew Forum on Religious and Public Life released the results of a survey that revealed how much Americans knew about the world’s religions. Atheists and Mormons scored higher than Evangelicals.
Of course, the problem is not limited to Evangelicals. Stephen Prothero in his book Religious Literacy calls Americans “a nation of religious illiterates,” and says that as a result “[w]e have a major civic problem on our hands.” This ignorance of other religious traditions has tragic implication not only for how we view and relate to each other in the U.S., but it also informs our stance on public policy issues at home and abroad. If Evangelicals are to love their neighbors as themselves, surely this must include being more informed about their religious beliefs and practices that form the core of their identity.
If Evangelicals are to love their neighbors as themselves, surely this must include being more informed about their religious beliefs and practices that form the core of their identity.
This religious illiteracy is also shared at the highest levels of our national government, which leads me to the second aspect of this point. Over the course of two presidential administrations, very different courses of action have been taken in response to “The War on Terror.” In my view both administrations have pursued policies without any real understanding or expertise in the history and complexities of the countries involved and their religions. In fact, although religion is a major factor, we have tended to neglect this aspect. Instead, those like Douglas M. Johnston in Religion, Terror, and Error argue that we need to incorporate “faith-based diplomacy” that “involves making religion part of the solution to intractable, identity-based conflicts that escape the reach of traditional diplomacy.” Evangelicals should work to attain a healthy religious literacy and encourage their national leaders to recognize the importance of faith-based diplomacy.
Response 3: Build inter-faith relationships
Finally, we need to take steps to build relationships with those in other religions around us, particularly Muslims. Although stepping out like this may be a frightening prospect, it can be done while maintaining our Evangelical convictions. This can involve sharing our faith but it is also far more than that. It means we love them and care for them regardless of whether they ever embrace the gospel message. It means that we extend grace, compassion, and empathy. It means that we not only offer ourselves as hosts, but also as guests in hospitality. If we are willing to pursue this course of discipleship, over time our perceptions of each other will be transformed, shifting from enemies to friends and even “trusted rivals” in the marketplace of the world’s religious ideas.
The challenge of religiously-motivated terrorism and other acts of violence around the world provide Evangelicals with an opportunity to be “ambassadors for Christ.”
The challenge of religiously-motivated terrorism and other acts of violence around the world provide Evangelicals with an opportunity to be “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor. 5:20) as we “live at peace with everyone” (Rom. 12:18) and pursue “the ministry of reconciliation” (1 Cor. 5:18-19).
John W. Morehead is the Custodian of the Evangelical Chapter of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy (www.EvangelicalFRD.org). The chapter works to help Evangelicals create a neighborhood theology and practice of multi-faith engagement.
