This past weekend my wife, Danielle,
and I finally got around to watching the 2013 film Captain Phillips, which is based on the true story of a cargo ship
that was taken captive by Somali pirates in 2009. We had wanted to see the movie for some time
but hadn’t gotten around to it. Unlike
most movies we watch, this movie was not a disappointment, but rather it was a
suspenseful film from beginning to end that made me constantly wonder, “What
would I do in that situation?” Because of the way my brain works, as I watched the film I couldn't help but have an internal debate between Christian pacifism and what
theologian Reinhold Niebuhr dubbed “Christian realism.” In other words, I was asking the question, “Would
I have killed those pirates if I had the chance?”
Christian
pacifism takes Jesus’ pacifistic teachings and universalizes them, saying that
when Jesus said, “Turn the other cheek” and “Love your enemies and pray for
them” that he meant that violence is always wrong in every situation. After all, Jesus refused to use violence to
keep himself from being crucified. It is
believed that Christians were predominantly pacifistic for the first few
centuries of Church history. The Church
father Tertullian even said that a soldier needed to leave the military in
order to become a Christian, although there is little evidence that this was a widespread conviction. The
pacifistic mantle was later taken up by groups such as the Quakers, Mennonites,
and Amish.
In
the wake of the Vietnam War, over the past few decades the Presbyterian Church
(USA) has become more and more pacifistic in our stances. After all, who wants to see that kind of
bloodshed happen again? When I was in
seminary and in the first few years afterward I became very enamored with these
pacifistic stances. It just seemed like
the Christ-like thing to do, to say that I would be willing to do as Jesus and
the early martyrs did. It seemed like
taking the high road, rather than the ultra-patriotic calls for war. After all, I once sat in a Sunday school
class (not at this church) listening to several Christians talk about how the
United States should just “nuke” the Middle East and North Korea and “be done
with it.” Since I was terribly disgusted
by their comments my pacifism seemed to make even more sense, but then three
things changed my mind, turning me from a Christian pacifist into a Christian “realist.” These things that changed my mind are history, terrorism, and my
kids.
Christian realism had always been around but it was Reinhold Niebuhr who named it and explored it in the 1940’s. You see, after World War I many American intellectuals became pacifists. WWI was unfathomably terrible and destructive; therefore many surmised that war is never permissible. The only way to avoid death on that magnitude is simply to refuse to participate in violence. Then something happened, or rather some people happened: Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Emperor Hirohito. While some intellectuals held firmly to pacifism, most eventually saw that pacifism was naïve and even dangerous in the face of violent dictators hell-bent not only on world domination but on ethnic cleansing on a massive scale. Would the loving thing to do be to sit idle as millions upon millions of noncombatants were murdered? Is it the loving thing to do to stand by as someone is pummeled to death, comforting them as they’re being beaten by saying, “I am a pacifist like Jesus! I am spreading the Kingdom of God!” Perhaps it would have been helpful to us if Jesus had told a parable about what the Good Samaritan would have done if he’d shown up while the man on the road to Jerusalem was being robbed and beaten.
Christian realism had always been around but it was Reinhold Niebuhr who named it and explored it in the 1940’s. You see, after World War I many American intellectuals became pacifists. WWI was unfathomably terrible and destructive; therefore many surmised that war is never permissible. The only way to avoid death on that magnitude is simply to refuse to participate in violence. Then something happened, or rather some people happened: Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Emperor Hirohito. While some intellectuals held firmly to pacifism, most eventually saw that pacifism was naïve and even dangerous in the face of violent dictators hell-bent not only on world domination but on ethnic cleansing on a massive scale. Would the loving thing to do be to sit idle as millions upon millions of noncombatants were murdered? Is it the loving thing to do to stand by as someone is pummeled to death, comforting them as they’re being beaten by saying, “I am a pacifist like Jesus! I am spreading the Kingdom of God!” Perhaps it would have been helpful to us if Jesus had told a parable about what the Good Samaritan would have done if he’d shown up while the man on the road to Jerusalem was being robbed and beaten.
Christian
realism took a middle ground between pacifism (non-participation in violence) and
violent zeal (relishing the opportunity to kill). Christian realism says with the Apostle Paul,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone,”
but recognizes that sometimes it doesn’t depend on you. After all, should the world stand by as ISIS massacres
Yazidis, Assyrian Christians, Shiite Turkmen, and Shabak, Kakais, and Sabean
Mandaens in Iraq? Should the world have
sat idly by as the Nazis continued to murder millions of Jews, disabled
persons, gypsies, gay and lesbian persons, and others? Should the United States have just let the
southern states become their own slaveholding country?
The Christian realist absolutely hates that violence is sometimes necessary and avoids it as long as possible but also recognizes that on this side of heaven there is sin and killing and that sometimes we must participate in one sin to bring an end to even greater sin. That’s why Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who abhorred violence, eventually became involved in an ill-fated scheme to assassinate Hitler. Some Christian pacifists either deny that Bonhoeffer was really involved (although all evidence is to the contrary) or they say that in his involvement Bonhoeffer betrayed his ideals and stooped to the level of the Nazis. In my opinion, these folks have a hard time dealing with the reality that our principles only work until they don't work anymore.
One of the best statements of Christian realism was spoken by Jimmy Carter during his Nobel Lecture upon his acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. He said, “War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn to live together in peace by killing each other's children.” The Christian pacifist says that war is evil, and never necessary. The Christian realist says that war is evil, but that sadly, on this side of heaven war is sometimes necessary.
The Christian realist absolutely hates that violence is sometimes necessary and avoids it as long as possible but also recognizes that on this side of heaven there is sin and killing and that sometimes we must participate in one sin to bring an end to even greater sin. That’s why Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who abhorred violence, eventually became involved in an ill-fated scheme to assassinate Hitler. Some Christian pacifists either deny that Bonhoeffer was really involved (although all evidence is to the contrary) or they say that in his involvement Bonhoeffer betrayed his ideals and stooped to the level of the Nazis. In my opinion, these folks have a hard time dealing with the reality that our principles only work until they don't work anymore.
One of the best statements of Christian realism was spoken by Jimmy Carter during his Nobel Lecture upon his acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. He said, “War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn to live together in peace by killing each other's children.” The Christian pacifist says that war is evil, and never necessary. The Christian realist says that war is evil, but that sadly, on this side of heaven war is sometimes necessary.
As I learned about history (especially
WWII) and as terrorism has gotten more and more ruthless, I began to make the shift from
an idealistic pacifism to Christian realism. It wasn't until I had kids, however, that the deal was sealed. Although it is old
fashioned and probably not politically correct anymore, I believe that it is my
responsibility as a husband and a father to protect my wife and kids with
everything I have, even at the loss of my own life. Because I am the man of the house it is
automatically my responsibility to do everything to protect them whether that means ridding the house of a
bat or confronting an intruder. I can’t
send my wife or kids down the stairs to do that; it's my job.
If some strung-out drug addict comes into our home and attacks my wife and kids I can’t be a pacifist; it would be irresponsible and, I believe, unchristian. I can’t say, “Well, that person is really just sick with addiction and it’s just going to perpetuate the cycle of violence if I intervene. After all, Jesus said, ‘Turn the other cheek’ and ‘love your enemies.’ Sorry Danielle, Wyatt, and Josselyn. I'll see you in heaven." Because I am a disciple of Jesus, I would regret that this sick person has forced me to go against my nonviolent Christian principles. However, in that moment I’d have to be a Christian realist rather than a Christian idealist and do whatever is necessary to protect my family. Once Danielle and I had kids I realized that I couldn’t be a pacifist anymore because I would do anything to protect my wife and my kids. Anything.
So what about if I was on the ship with Captain Phillips?
If some strung-out drug addict comes into our home and attacks my wife and kids I can’t be a pacifist; it would be irresponsible and, I believe, unchristian. I can’t say, “Well, that person is really just sick with addiction and it’s just going to perpetuate the cycle of violence if I intervene. After all, Jesus said, ‘Turn the other cheek’ and ‘love your enemies.’ Sorry Danielle, Wyatt, and Josselyn. I'll see you in heaven." Because I am a disciple of Jesus, I would regret that this sick person has forced me to go against my nonviolent Christian principles. However, in that moment I’d have to be a Christian realist rather than a Christian idealist and do whatever is necessary to protect my family. Once Danielle and I had kids I realized that I couldn’t be a pacifist anymore because I would do anything to protect my wife and my kids. Anything.
So what about if I was on the ship with Captain Phillips?
to be continued next week...
