Thursday, February 19, 2009

Being Peace-makers

The Horrors We Bless: Rethinking the Just-War Legacy is a book by Daniel Maguire, available at Amazon. Maguire argues for a “politics of peacemaking” as an option between pacifism and just-war approaches to conflict.

Much of this provocative book examines the strengths and weaknesses of the just-war tradition. It uses recent wars to illustrate how the fervor and momentum of war over-rides the intended restraints of just war criteria. He pleads for pre-emptive justice rather than pre-emptive violence (emphasis added).

Until we reevaluate our current political diplomacy and set a determined course of national and personal integrity, non-violence, reconciliation and peace-making--individually and collectively--we will continue recycling our past failures over and over.

We need a new mindset that rejects economic, political, and religious domination and allows everyone an equal opportunity to live in peace in a free world. I cannot shake your hand when you have a clenched fist. I will not accept you as my superior, nor will I meet you as my inferior, for we stand on level ground at the foot of the cross.
Wayne

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