Why I am a pacifist
by Esther Epp-Tiessen
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Author, Esther Epp-Tiessen with
her sons.
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I am a pacifist because I am a mother.
Seven years ago my eight-year-old son Timothy died of cancer. My own loss
has helped me to understand in a small way the pain and the grief of a
mother whose child is blown to bits by a missile, killed by a sniper,
permanently disabled by a landmine, or raped by someone with a uniform
and a gun.
Author Barbara Kingsolver has said that the loss of war is a "pure,
high note of anguish like a mother singing to an empty bed." Indeed,
if only we could gather the tears of anguish of all the mothers whose
children have been killed, disabled, or traumatized by war. What oceans
those tears would fill! Perhaps then we could collectively say, "Don’t
kill anyone’s child anymore."
I am a pacifist because I am a Christian and a Mennonite.
As a Christian I am a follower of Jesus. Jesus lived a life and died a
death committed to peace. In life, he taught his followers to respond
to violence in creative nonviolent ways. He showed love to his enemies
and persecutors. When faced with torture and death, he did not call upon
his followers to rise up in revolt. Rather, he accepted suffering willingly.
His resurrection demonstrates the triumph of good over evil, of nonviolence
over violence.
Peace is at the heart of Jesus’ message and ministry, his life and
his death. Over 450 years, my faith community, the Mennonite church, has
understood this and has tried to teach that following Christ and turning
away from violence are inseparable.
I am a pacifist because of my interest in history.
The 20th century is striking for its violence -- over one hundred million
lives lost. At the end of the century, some 40 armed conflicts were being
waged around the world. We can now add to that the "war on terrorism"
in Afghanistan.
The Bible teaches that violence begets violence. History bears this out.
We can point to many regions of the world where cycles of violence have
spiraled uncontrollably for decades. If we learn our history, we learn
that violence and warfare rarely, if ever, contribute to a just and lasting
peace. History also teaches that peaceful nonviolent action can be amazingly
effective in bringing about political and social change.
I am a pacifist because of my association with Mennonite Central Committee.
Over the years, MCC workers have learned that war is a terrible scourge
on humanity.
- War kills the innocent. A century ago 90 per cent of war’s victims
were soldiers; today 90 percent are civilians.
- War creates refugees. Some 25 million refugees exist worldwide; most
of them have been driven from their homes because of war.
- War disables healthy people, physically, mentally and emotionally.
- Unexploded ordnance, like landmines and cluster bombs, cause death
and destruction long after wars have "ended."
- War separates families and orphans children.
- War makes it difficult or impossible for people to grow food to feed
themselves and others.
- War contributes to the spread of diseases like AIDS.
- War causes tremendous – sometimes permanent – harm to the
natural environment.
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