Letter of Church Leaders to President Bush on the Crisis in the Persian Gulf

Episcopal News Service. November 29, 1990 [90313]

We are leaders of Orthodox and Protestant churches in the United States that enjoy close relationships with sister Christian communities in the Middle East.

We are convinced that war as a means of settling international disputes is in conflict with the teachings of our faith.

We are deeply concerned that the Persian Gulf crisis is leading our nation steadily toward war.

We are anxious that justice be done and peace prevail throughout the Middle East.

We therefore call on you, Mr. President, to do the following:

  • 1. Pursue every means for a negotiated political solution to the crisis in the Persian Gulf. We believe that the temptation to impose a unilateral military solution threatens to undermine the remarkable international consensus achieved in response to the crisis. Rhetoric that demonizes and stereotypes entire nations and that inflames popular opinion must be resisted.
  • 2. Declare clearly the interests of the United States in increasing its military deployment to the region. If we are preparing for war, the American people must understand the reasons -- particularly if economic and geopolitical interests are determining our presence. We do not believe Congress has debated adequately the options before our nation.
  • 3. Withdraw U.S. military forces from the region, except those required by the United Nations to maintain peace and security. The presence of our forces threatens good relations with the Arab states and peoples. We particularly question any long-term-unilateral police role for our country, recognizing that the continued presence of U.S. military forces would be an affront to many person, in the region.
  • 4. Support an international conference to deal with all areas of conflict in the Middle East. As long as relevant United Nations resolutions on Israel and Palestine, Lebanon and Cyprus remain unimplemented, justice will be left undone and peace remain unattainable. The Persian Gulf crisis cannot be isolated from the larger conflicts in the region, even if it must be dealt with first.

We unequivocally condemn the aggression against a sovereign state and support the sanctions of the United Nations (excepting, for humanitarian purposes, food and medicines) against the aggressor. At the same time, we believe that resorting to war to force a solution on the issue would be disastrous in its human and environmental cost.

Mr. President, as religious leaders we will oppose a unilateral use of military force in the Persian Gulf.

Many of our churches have already expressed the concerns addressed to you in this letter, often joining in ecumenical statements to do so. We share in the general consensus of those statements, and we seek to meet with you to present our concerns face to face.

It is our prayer that in meeting with you, Mr. President, we, together with other citizens of good will, can assist in the achievement of a just and peaceful resolution of the crisis.

Bishop Vinton Anderson, Moderator Black Church Liaison Committee of the World Council of Churches

The Rev. Dr. James E. Andrews, Stated Clerk The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

The Rt. Rev. Khajag Barsamian, Primate Diocese of the Armenian Church of America

The Most Rev. Edmond L. Browning, Presiding Bishop The Episcopal Church

The Rev. Joan Brown Campbell, General Secretary-Elect National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.

The Rev. Herbert W. Chilstrom, Bishop The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

The Rev. Dr. John O. Humbert, General Minister and President The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the U.S. and Canada

His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos, Primate Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America

The Very Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky, President National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A

The Rev. Dr. Donald E. Miller, General Secretary The Church of the Brethren

The Rev. Edwin G. Mulder, General Secretary The Reformed Church in America

Dr. Patricia J. Rumer, General Director Church Women United

Metropolitan Philip Saliba, Primate Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

The Rev. Dr. Paul Sherry, President The United Church of Christ

The Rev. Dr. Daniel E. Weiss, General Secretary American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A.