January, 2003
Dear Fellow Unitarians and Universalists in Canada,
This winter season is traditionally a time for pondering peace,
renewing faith and allowing hope and generosity to fill our hearts.
This is true of many of the world's great religions including
Christianity and Islam. And yet this year instead of dwelling
on these joyful things that point to the best in human nature,
we find ourselves forced to contemplate war in Iraq.
As the drumbeat of war has increased in tempo, we, the undersigned
members of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers of Canada, have
each studied the issues to the best of our ability. We have individually
reached the opinion that the impending war is morally wrong and
poorly justified by arguments that appear to us to be misleading.
On the basis of evidence seen to date, it appears that this is
a conflict generated by the Bush Administration seeking to establish
their nation as the dominant power in the Middle East and to control
the flow of oil. More significantly they intend to show the world
that opposition to their brand of capitalism will not be tolerated
anywhere their nation has an economic interest.
In recent months their pursuit of al Qaeda terrorists has met
with frustrating failure, and so they have turned their attention
elsewhere. Using the rhetoric of the War on Terrorism, the Bush
Administration has named as enemies those who block their economic
goals. They have made it clear they will not be restrained by
the United Nations and will unilaterally destroy the alleged Iraqi
threat to American sovereignty if need be. They assert this position
despite the fact that the Iraqis have never attacked any U.S.
outpost, much less the American homeland.
Furthermore, we are outraged that the Bush Administration should
vilify the Iraqis for possible possession of biological and chemical
weapons when the U.S. military has a vastly superior supply of
such weapons as do a considerable number of other countries not
currently being threatened with the treatment contemplated for
Iraq. We observe the irony that the American government furnished
these weapons to Iraq when the two nations were allied against
Iran.
We deplore terrorist acts of any kind and urge the end to killing
innocent citizens in any conflict. We stand in support of the
position expressed by Canadian Unitarian Council President the
Rev. Dr. Mark Morrison-Reed on October 2, 2002:
"Unitarians and Universalists are committed to the goal
of world community where there is respect for the worth and dignity
of all people. The people of Iraq have suffered terribly under
the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein and eleven years of United
Nations sanctions. An attack will only increase the suffering
and deaths of innocent Iraqis.
"We applaud the present stance of the Government of Canada
in opposing unilateral U.S. action. We support (Prime Minister
Jean Chretien) in promoting a solution to the current crisis that
is consistent with international law through the United Nations.
"...Canadian Unitarians and Universalists urge (the Prime
Minister to sustain (his) present pursuit of a peaceful resolution
to the crisis with Iraq."
In taking this position in opposition to the war we stand in
support of many professional colleagues in the Unitarian Universalist
Minister's Association and with millions of Canadian and American
citizens.
Perhaps there is such a thing as a just war. By no reasonable
standard can this impending conflict be called just.
We therefore invite all Canadian Unitarians and Universalists
to take time to read, reflect and study this issue as they are
able. We urge them to share their views within their communities
and in whatever other fora are available to them. Finally, we
invite them to join us in communicating the dictates of their
consciences on this matter to the federal government of Canada.
Rev. Penelope Witte Allderdice, Community Minister,
Member, Avalon Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Rev. Dr. John Baros-Johnson, Minister, Universalist Unitarian
Church of Halifax
Rev. Allison Barrett , Minister, The First Unitarian Church of
Hamilton
Rev. Arthur Berman, Staff chaplain, Vancouver General Hospital
and Health Sciences
Centre
Rev. Jane Bramadat, Minister, First Unitarian Church of Victoria
Rev. Fred Cappuccino, Unitarian Fellowship of Ottawa, Minister
Emeritus
Rev. Fran Dearman, Minister, Anchorage Unitarian Universalist
Fellowship
Rev. Frances Leigh Devrell, Don Heights Unitarian Congregation,
Scarborough ON
Rev. Steven Epperson, Minister, Unitarian Church of Vancouver
Rev. Wendy McNiven, minister, Unitarian Fellowship of Kelowna
Rev. J. McRee Elrod, Retired
Rev. Phillip Hewett, Minister Emeritus, Unitarian Church of Vancouver
Rev. Brian J. Kiely, Minister, Unitarian Church of Edmonton
Rev. Barb' Kulcher, Ret., member Unitarian Church, Hamilton
Rev. Anne Wilson Orfald, Unitarian Fellowship of Peterborough,
Ontario
Rev. Margaret J. Roberts, Westwood Unitarian Fellowship (Edmonton)
Rev. Kathy S. Sage, Minister, Kingston Unitarian Fellowship
Rev. Katie Stein Sather, Brigus Junction, Newfoundland
Rev. Anne Treadwell, Minister, First Unitarian Congregation of
Waterloo
