Occasional Papers
Entering Samaria: Peace Ministry among U.S. Military Personnel in West Germany
Questions for Peace Makers and the Church
- What language can be used to share the gospel of peace in a military setting? We need a vocabulary and a way of communicating that is direct and clear, but does not immediately trigger defense mechanisms. Is it possible to bridge the worlds with words and language?
- We have largely related to fellow Christians in the military for numerous reasons. Yet religion in this setting often serves largely as an ideological underpinning for the military system. What other groups should we seek out as discussion partners?
- In pursuing a dialogue across a vast ideological and cultural gulf, should we be prepared to make certain compromises and accept restrictions in the interest of the exchange (i.e. participating in chapel activities with a flag in the sanctuary or a minister in uniform, not personally engaging in acts of civil disobedience, etc.)?
- Some GIs who are dissatisfied with military life have few alternatives and cannot afford to get out. Even if they are opposed to fighting, a conscientious objector discharge is hardly an option. What role can we encourage them to play within the military?
- The military is a heirarchical, authoritarian system. Individuals in the military who become victims of this system have a lonely struggle. Are we are pacifists prepared to stand in solidarity with these men and women in uniform and adopt their agenda? Are we prepared to be a voice for the powerless in this setting and to work for a more humane and democratic military?
- How can dialogue and resistance complement each other? Under what conditions do public actions dramatize the need for dialogue, illustrate the urgency of the concern and lead the military to accept peace people as partners in dialogue? Under what conditions do public actions generate fear and destroy trust, building barriers to dialogue? Is it possible for the same persons to engage in both dialogue and acts of resistance?
- Our work has largely been relating as individuals to individuals in the military. How might it be possible to address structural issues in dialogue with military personnel and decision-makers? Would the participation of church bodies or institutions be useful in moving the dialogue to this plane? (An exchange with the endorsing agencies for chaplains of the mainline Protestant denominations could be one example.)
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