The congregation of The Unitarian Church in Summit took a public stand in calling for an end to the war in Iraq by endorsing the Declaration of Peace, an initiative sponsored by 800 churches and civic organizations nationwide.
The congregational vote took place at a special meeting on October 21, which followed a three-month process of research, discussion and the showing of two documentary films, The Ground Truth and Bill Moyers’ The Buying of the War. The 84-7 vote was the culmination of a process instituted last spring to empower the congregation to make its voice heard on important social issues.
The vote was not the first anti-war action at the church. In the fall of 2005, Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, pastor, launched a continuing weekly ritual during Sunday services in which a gong is sounded for each American service person killed in Iraq during the preceding week. After each gong, an echoing chime is sounded in memory of members of the Iraqi security forces and Iraqi citizens killed during the same week.
“We began when the number of American lives lost was 2,000 and the number of Iraqi deaths numbered far beyond that,” Rev. Southern said. “On Sunday, October 21, we spoke with resounding agreement of our belief that it is time this war and all the associated costs come to an end. Now begins the work of joining others and continuing to speak and work together to end it.”
The declaration calls on the U.S. government to end the Iraq war and establish a comprehensive plan for 1) supporting an Iraqi-led peace process, 2) maintaining no permanent U.S. military bases or installations in Iraq, 3) returning control of the political and economic life to the Iraq people, 4) making reparations and supporting reconstruction of Iraq, 5) increasing support for veterans and their families and 6) prohibiting “preemptive” war against other nations.
In addition to the Declaration’s language, the congregation added a call to end “harsh interrogation techniques by our military and intelligence operatives that are tantamount to torture.”
The church is a member of the Unitarian-Universalist Association. In 2006, the denomination’s General Assembly voted to endorse the Declaration of Peace at its yearly meeting in St. Louis. The peace initiative reflects three of the seven UU principles, affirming and promoting “the inherent worth and dignity of every person,” “justice, equity and compassion in human relations” and “the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.”
In accepting the challenge to publicly declare and promote an end to military involvement in Iraq, Summit’s Unitarian Universalists plan to offer a variety of speakers, films and other informational events for members and the public. During the lead-up to the vote, members of the congregation expressed a desire to learn more about the Iraq War and its impact on American military personnel, their families and the U.S. population as a whole. Upcoming programs will also focus on the war’s effect on the people of Iraq and the rest of the world.
About Michael Keyles