Protestants on the War

When the U.S. declared war on Germany in 1917, the Federal Council of Churches pledged "both support and allegiance in unstinted measure," expressed gratitude that "the ends to which we are committed are such as we can approve . . . aims for which every one of us may lay down our all, even life itself."

Very different in tone and emphasis was the "message to our fellow Christians" which the Federal Council had issued for World War II. Conspicuously omitting the 1917 declaration that America was fighting "to vindicate the principles of righteousness and the inviolability of faith as between nation and nation," the 1942 message said "we do not disclaim our own share in the events . . . which made it possible for these evil forces to be released," and urged that, "conscious, of our participation in the world's sin, we would be humble and penitent before God . . . and become His instruments for fashioning a free, just and neighborly world."

When the Council's executive committee met to draft the message, some of the more militant denominational representatives wanted a prayer for victory put into the statement. This was omitted when others pointed out that in their similar statements at the start of World War II the British, French, Canadian and German churches had included no such prayers.

In 1917 the Council's resolutions frankly reported a disagreement among its members, some holding with the Quakers that Christians are forbidden "to engage in war under any circumstances" while most believed that Christianity "demands that we defend with all the power given us the sacred rights of humanity." This time the issue of pacifism was sidestepped in the interest of unity, and Christian participation in the war is not included among the 13 points with which the message closes. Most significant of these 13 points are: > "To withstand any propaganda of hatred or revenge and to refuse it the sanction of religion." > "To manifest Christian good will toward those among us whose origin was in nations with which our country is now at war." > "To strive for national policies in conformity with the will of God, rather than to seek the divine sanction for a human purpose." > "To maintain unbroken the fellowship of prayer with Christians everywhere."

Closest to a pro-war declaration is a paragraph which reads:

"As citizens we gratefully acknowledge a priceless national heritage of freedom and democratic ideals for which earlier generations struggled and sacrificed. We cherish this heritage more deeply when we see it attacked by a totalitarian threat. We are resolved to defend it from the menace of rival systems from without and from the degradation of abuse or neglect from within."

For the future, "the church must be in the vanguard of the preparation for a just and durable peace. The great sacrifice of treasure and of life must not be in vain. We must build now the spiritual foundations for a better order of the world. This task is immediate and cannot be delayed."

Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick remains America's No. 1 pacifist--but last Sunday he told his congregation in Manhattan's Riverside (Rockefeller) Church that Fascism and Christianity cannot survive permanently in the same world.

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