Mainline Protestant church officials who customarily decry military expenditures and denounce armed conflict are acknowledging that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine can legitimately be opposed with armed resistance.
“Jesus lived in the real world,” remarked Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry in an interview with the Episcopal News Service. “He had clear ideals and clear principles that he was articulating, no question about that. But he was in the real world. Now, he did tell Peter, ‘Put that sword back in its sheath.’ But he didn’t tell him to get rid of it,” Curry stated, referencing Matthew 26. “Ukrainians have a right to defend their freedom and to protect it.”
Comments from the Episcopal Church’s top official mirror those from the United Church of Christ (UCC), Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and some other mainline Protestant officials in acknowledging the limits of a strict pacifism in opposing the invasion of a sovereign country by another.
Denominational officials with the UCC issued a statement on Ukraine announcing, “We mourn that, yet, again, the desire for power, control, and expansion has taken precedence over respect for human lives, livelihood and dignity.” They recognize “the right of Ukrainians to resist the assault on their homeland and opposed further militarization by any party.”
The letter was signed by UCC General Minister and President John Dorhauer and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) General Minister and President Teresa Hord Owens. The two denominations share a Washington, D.C.-based public policy office.
The Disciples issued a statement encouraging peace but recognizing a right to violent resistance. “We oppose any further militarization of the conflict by Russia, as well as by NATO, the United States, and other parties, recognizing the right of Ukrainians to resist the assault on their homeland. Even so, de-escalation is required, not heightened belligerence.”
The Disciples statement quotes Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant.”
Other U.S. churches have called only for diplomacy. The Presbyterian Church (USA) released a statement calling on “The Biden administration to pursue all diplomatic measures in its power. The world needs to bring both parties to the negotiating table. Security is not founded on weapons and cannot be gained from the tools of war.”
German Methodist Bishop Harald Rückert asked United Methodists to work toward peace. “Even if it seems naïve in the face of weapons, tanks, and massive power plays, ‘peacemakers’ (Matthew 5:9) and bridge builders are needed more than ever,” Rückert wrote in a statement. The United Methodist Church Book of Discipline states in paragraph 165.C, “We believe war is incompatible with the teaching and the example of Christ.”
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) issued a pastoral message from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton affirming Lutheran World Federation General Secretary Rev. Dr. Anne Burghardt’s statement, “We urge all parties to de-escalate the situation and work for peace and stability. A peaceful solution must be found.”
A minority pacifist movement exists in Ukraine. In late February the Ukrainian Pacifist Movement (UPM) called upon, “leadership of both states and military forces to step back and sit at the negotiating table. Peace in Ukraine can only be achieved in a non-violence way. War is a crime against humanity. Therefore, we are determined not to support any kind of war and to strive for the removal of all causes of war.”
U.S.-based pacifist caucus groups operating within some mainline Protestant churches announced their support for Ukrainian pacifists. The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship (PPF), a pacifist caucus within the Presbyterian Church (USA) called upon Ukraine to permit “everyone, including men ages 18-60, to leave Ukraine if they choose.” Referring to a video taken in late February of a Ukrainian man attempting to block a Russian military convoy, the PPF noted, “we are so inspired by the widespread Ukrainian nonviolent resistance to the invasion, like an unarmed person blocking the road so tanks can’t proceed.”
The Rev. Ben Daniel of Montclair Presbyterian Church in Oakland, CA, a pacifist church and member of the PPF, gave a sermon on Ukraine on February 27. Calling for a pacifist response to Russia, Daniel stated, “I can think of no example in historical record in which a military victory led to real peace.”
However, Daniel admitted, “I don’t have a solution. Those who favor military violence also don’t have a good solution, they’re just not acquainted with their own inability to fix the mess.” All the while, the small but united Ukrainian pacifist movement continues to believe in the power of nonviolence as the only path to peace, even amid a full-scale military invasion.
Comment by Lance on April 9, 2022 at 7:50 am
Using the same logic, these liberals should oppose violence committed against children in the womb.
Comment by David on April 9, 2022 at 5:35 pm
There is the question of who owned the sword used by Peter during the arrest of Jesus. If it was his, it explains why strong force was sent to make the arrest as the apostles were armed and dangerous. Of course, Christians have always picked the verses they like and ignored others. “Do not resist evil” [Matt 5:39] was not very popular.
As far as “children in the womb,” it is well established that a large percentage of human conceptions, if not a majority, perish before term. What does this demonstrate in moral terms? Perhaps heaven cares less about them than what you think.
Comment by Douglas Ehrhardt on April 9, 2022 at 10:04 pm
And which verses do you like to twist ? Oh wise one.
Comment by Star Tripper on April 10, 2022 at 10:33 pm
Pacifists are largely parasites to a nation-state and should not be taken seriously. OTH, Ukraine is way more complex than the media and these so-called religious leaders understand. It is a simple observation that Putin has all the right enemies.
Comment by Search4Truth on April 13, 2022 at 7:09 pm
I’m wondering what planet, or maybe universe, these people who are still calling for diplomacy live in. The latest news – Adolph H. Putin has declared that negotiations have ended, and the war will continue.