SDA Church’s Euro-Asia Division President Calls Adventists to Pray for Peace in Ukraine

"The president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Euro-Asia Division is calling on all Adventists to pray for peace in Ukraine," according to APD and Adventist Today (link, 28 June 2014). Furthermore, he "has urged church members to give a donation to the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in support of people who have lost their homes and belongings in the unrest."

The article continues:

Pastor Guillermo Biaggi declared Sabbath, June 28, a day of prayer across the division, which includes Ukraine, Russia and 10 other former Soviet republics as well as Afghanistan. His call comes nearly four months after Adventist leaders in Russia and Ukraine released a joint statement advocating for peacekeeping efforts.

“We pray for wisdom from heaven to guide the countries’ leadership toward a peaceful resolution,” Biaggi said last Thursday. “We want to see peace in order to avoid losing lives as we have in the past few days.”

The complete article can be read at Adventist Today.

International Association for the Defense of Religious Liberty Convenes in Geneva

The Adventist News Network (ANN) reports that on June 10, the International Association for the Defense of Religious Liberty (AIDLR) "co-sponsored a panel discussion on the sidelines of the 26th session of the UN Human Rights Council."

ANN story excerpts:

The Adventist-affiliated group AIDLR got a welcomed boost in visibility this month by organizing its first event at the United Nations office in Geneva, organizers said.

Panelists at the June 10 event, titled “Worldwide Human Rights, Religious Liberty and Religious Minorities,” cautioned that religious freedoms risked being curbed if efforts weren’t made to better coordinate the work of the UN, European Union and other entities that have various approaches to human rights. (Complete article, 24 June 2014).

In addition to the panel discussion, AIDLR released a book during the gathering. The Religion and Law Consortium shares:

The special edition of AIDLR's "Conscience and Liberty" entitled "Worldwide Human Rights and Religious Liberty. A New Equilibrium or New Challenges Volume I" was launched with some of the authors presenting their contributions. The book contains articles, statements and reflection of four UN Secretaries-General, UN High Commissioners of Human Rights, ambassadors, scholars, religious leaders as well as testimonies or letters of former presidents of the Honorary  Committee of AIDLR including Eleanor Roosevelt, Rene Cassin, Leopold Sedar Senghor, and Mary Robinson. (UN Side Event, 10 June 2014)

Loma Linda Study Links Diet and Climate Change

A Loma Linda study finds a beneficial connection between a vegetarian diet and climate change, reports the Adventist Review ("Vegetarian Diet Is Effective Tool Against Climate Change, Study Finds," June 26, 2014, link).

Excerpts:

The research, published in the upcoming July issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that a vegetarian diet results in nearly a third less greenhouse gas emissions than a diet with animal products.

"To our knowledge, no studies have yet used a single non-simulated data set to independently assess the climate change mitigation potential and actual health outcomes for the same dietary patterns," said Joan Sabaté, a study co-author and a nutrition professor at Loma Linda University School of Public Health.

The study argues that a global shift toward plant-based diets would help protect people against food shortages by increasing food security and sustainability.

The complete article is available on the Adventist Review website.

Guttschuss on Sectarian Violence in Central Nigeria

In December 2013, Eric Guttschuss (APF board member and Andrews University graduate) wrote a report for Human Rights Watch on the sectarian violence in central Nigeria--"Leave Everything to God."

This 146-page report which includes a photo essay, is based on interviews with more than 180 witnesses and victims of violence in Plateau and Kaduna states, as well as police investigators, prosecutors, defense lawyers, judges, and community leaders. A Human Rights Watch researcher conducted site visits to scenes of major violence, sometimes just days after a massacre, collected and analyzed court documents, and attended some of the court proceedings in Jos, the capital of Plateau State. (Human Rights Watch)

The report can be downloaded as a PDF here.

Symposium on the Impact of WWI on Adventism

The Institute of Adventist Studies at Friendensau Adventist University (Theologische Hochschule Friedensau), hosted a symposium May 12-15 on the Impact of World War I on Seventh-day Adventism (event website). Sixteen presenters and over one hundred auditors, representing twelve countries, gathered at the school near Berlin, Germany, to discuss three broad areas relevant to this time period—the failure of apocalyptic prophecy (the Eastern Question of WWI), Adventist involvement in war, and the emergence of the Reform Movement.

I attended as a representative of Adventist Today, submitting daily reports on the symposium. In addition, I was given a 15-minute time slot at the event to promote the Adventist Peace Fellowship. Approximately half of this time was used for question-and-answer dialogue. During the open discussion, I appreciated the support of APF co-founder Doug Morgan, who was a presenter at the event.

Following is a brief overview of the content covered at the symposium, along with links to media coverage of the event.

Apocalyptic Prophecy and Interpretation

Three presentations looked at the failure of Adventist prophetic teachings centering on WWI—the Eastern Question. At the time, Adventists focused their evangelism on the Ottoman Empire, predicting it would move its capital to Jerusalem, ushering in Armageddon and the end of the age. With the transition of the Ottoman Empire into modern Turkey with no seat in Jerusalem, this prophetic interpretation had to be abandoned.

Adventists and the Challenge of War

This topic consumed the bulk of the event's time and attention. Including George Knight's key note address to kick off the symposium, twelve presentations were given, covering a range of countries affected by WWI—the United States of America, Germany, Great Britain, France, Russia, Denmark, South Africa, Australia, Italy and more.

The range of issues covered in these presentations was compelling—conscription/draft, religious freedom, conscientious objection, church-state relations, nationalism, and the tension between pragmatism and idealism. These issues could have consumed much more time than the four-day symposium allowed.

The Church, The Prophet and the Reform Movements

The third major area dealt with the development of the Reform Movement, first in Germany but also in several other European countries. When church leaders in Germany informed the government that Adventists would participate in armed combat and would act on Sabbath as other soldiers do on Sunday, a minority of church members refused to comply. Amidst protest, these Adventists were disfellowshiped, and their stance on Sabbath and nonviolence led many to be imprisoned, with some even dying for their faith. Seventh-day Adventists at times reported on the reformers to authorities and even witnessed against them, which naturally contributed to friction between the groups.

After WWI ended, General Conference leaders clarified the error of the German leaders' decision, but the attempts at reconciliation failed, thus setting the reform movement on a path toward forming a new denomination, the Seventh-day Adventist Reform Movement (sometimes referred to as the German Reform Movement, though this label misses the larger nature of the movement). This group eventually split again in 1951, with one faction adding the phrase International Missionary Society (IMS) to their name. Together, these two entities have approximately 70,000 members, with operations in 120 countries. Since the early schism, the Reform Movement has developed other disagreements with the mainstream Seventh-day Adventist Church.

On Wednesday evening, event organizer Rolf Pöhler read a recently-released statement by German Seventh-day Adventist leaders apologizing for the decisions and actions of 1914. After this statement, symposium participants associated with the IMS and SDA churches clasped hands, expressing a level of warming between the groups. While disagreements continue between the two groups on a handful of issues, the symbolic action appeared to be meaningful for those present.

Publication

The papers presented at the symposium, along with chapters addressing Canada and Romania, will be revised and published as a book. Adventist peacemakers will likely find this volume to be quite informative and engaging, making it an important publication along with books such as Seventh-day Adventists in Time of War (Wilcox, 1936), Adventism and the American Republic (Morgan, 2001), The Peacemaking Remnant (Morgan, 2005), The Promise of Peace (Scriven, 2009), and Should I fight? (Bussey, 2011).

These were the presenters: George Knight, Jón Stefánsson, Bert Haloviak, Rolf Pöhler, Douglas Morgan, Ronald Lawson, Denis Kaiser, Eugene Zaitsev, Richard Müller, Jeff Crocombe, Daniel Reynaud, Gilbert Valentine, Stefan Höschele, Johannes Hartlapp, Idel Suarez, Jr., Woonsan Kang, Michael Pearson, and Reinder Bruinsma.

Media Coverage

You can learn more about the event through the following media reports:

• German Adventist Leaders Release Statement on “Guilt, Failure,” War (AToday/APD, 12 May 2014)
• Conviction and Moral Drift: War in the Story of Adventism (Charles Scriven, Spectrum, 12 May 2014)
• Adventists and World War I – Symposium Day One (Jeff Boyd, AToday, 12 May 2014)
• Prophecy, War, Moral Drift and Moral Courage (Charles Scriven, Spectrum, 13 May 2014)
• Adventists and World War I – Symposium Day Two (Jeff Boyd, AToday, 13 May 2014)
• Coping with War: Stories, Dilemmas, and a Breakthrough Moment (Charles Scriven, Spectrum, 14 May 2014)
• War and Adventist Pragmatism at the German Conference (Helen Pearson, Spectrum, 14 May 2014)
• Adventists and World War I – Symposium Day Three (Jeff Boyd, AToday, 14 May 2014)
• Adventists and World War I – Symposium Last Day (Jeff Boyd, AToday, 16 May 2014)
• War, Virtue and the Quest for a New Adventism (Charles Scriven, Spectrum 19 May 2014)
• Final Reflections from Friedensau: What Have We Learned? (Helen Pearson, Spectrum, 19 May 2014)
• Kriegsdienstverweigerung aus Sicht der Reformadventisten (Adventistischer Pressedienst/APD, 23 May 2014)
• Adventist Peace Fellowship – Netzwerk für Friedensstifter (Adventistischer Pressedienst/APD, 25 May 2014)

Symposium participant Denis Kaiser will be publishing an article about the gathering for Adventist World. This will likely appear in the August 2014 edition, marking 100 years since the start of WWI. We will link to Kaiser's article when it is available online.

Glen Stassen Passes Away

Glen Stassen, noted Baptist theologian and peace advocate, passed away April 26 at the age of 78.

APF co-founder and current treasurer Doug Morgan shares:

I found the “just peacemaking” approach that Glen Stassen developed enormously helpful in overcoming the sometimes tiresome pacifism/just war debate. It called pacifists beyond nonviolence to active peacemaking and just war advocates to engage in practices that would reduce the likelihood of war. Along with intellectual rigor, a heartfelt commitment to Jesus came through his writing that challenged and inspired me.

I concur. As a graduate student in peace studies, I read a number of his original and edited works, such as Kingdom Ethics (2003), Just Peacemaking (2008), andThe War of the Lamb (Yoder, 2009). Later I shared lunch with him at a peace conference, and I found him to be friendly and engaging. His love for Jesus--and the way of Jesus--always came through.

Below are excerpts from a tribute written by David Gushee, who co-wrote Kingdom Ethics with Stassen:

Glen Stassen was a scholar of Christian ethics. He loved his work. He loved reading everything in Christian ethics. He loved talking about Christian ethics. He loved arguing with people about the best directions for Christian ethics. He will leave behind a vast library of well-marked books in Christian ethics, which for him meant biblical studies, theology, political science, economics, science, international relations, peace and war studies, and ethics proper. Those marked-up books help symbolize his epic engagement with the field.

Glen was an activist. His earliest activism was in civil rights. He was at the March on Washington in 1963. He did civil rights work everywhere he went in the 1960s and 1970s. But most who knew him later will remember him as a peace activist, especially against the threat of nuclear annihilation. This was one of my very first intersections with him. Trained in nuclear physics, Glen knew exactly what destructive power humans had unleashed. Glen became a leading activist against nuclear weapons during the Cold War and helped the global, not just Christian, anti-nuclear movement refine its theory, message, and strategy.

Gushee's tribute can be read in full here--Sojourners.

Adventist Demonstrator in Ukraine Shares Motivation

Serhiy-Horokhovskyy

On February 20 of this year, APF reported on the actions of Union College graduate Serhiy Horokhovskyy, who was active in the political protests (article here). Horokhovskky recently share with Adventist Today about his experiences during the demonstrations. Here is an excerpt:

Jeff Boyd: What motivated you to join in the protests?

Serhiy Horokhovskyy: Honestly, my motivation and desire to join had a few stages. First, I would just come and see what all the fuss is about, the whole country was talking about Maidan (the main square of Kyiv, where all these protests and confrontations took place), but most of things I heard were from the people that knew nothing about the situation or from people that were fed only by the media. I decided to go from time to time to listen to the speeches and to find out what the people stand for. I am not indifferent to the fate of my country. I went there to protest injustice, corruption, violence of those who swore to protect us, etc. When the situation got violent, I knew that I had to be there as a citizen and as a Christian. As a citizen, I tried to protect the helpless, and as a Christian, I needed to help the wounded.

The complete interview is accessible here for people with an AToday membership.

Just War Illusions: Shrouding Brutalities with Theological Euphemisms

Ron Osborn (Advent Peace Fellowship Executive Director) published an article earlier this month inCommonweal, "Just-War Illusions: Shrouding Brutalities with Theological Euphemisms." Osborn calls readers to reflect on "just-war pacifism."

Excerpt:

Finally, just-war pacifists in the Christian tradition remember that in a world of violence and war, the church’s primary calling remains that of modeling a radically different kind of action, and of community. Inevitably in the discussion of how to respond to the Syrian government’s use of chemical weapons and its other crimes against humanity, the question arises: “What should we do if not strikes?” Such questions assume a very particular “we”—a “we” that possesses all the tools of violence and must decide when and how to use them. They invite us to imagine ourselves equipped with missiles and drones, and to work out our ethics from the position of the state’s monopoly on violence. Yet to ask “What should we drone operators do?” or “What should Obama do?”—or even “What should we Americans do?”—is not the same as asking “What should we members of the Body of Christ do?” The irony of “Christian realism” is the tragedy of misplaced pronouns.

View the entire article here.

Open House at The Center and & Library for the Bible and Social Justice

The Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice will host an open house on April 4, 2014 from 4-8 p.m. (17 Cricketown Road, Stony Point, New York 10980). "Join us for a reception at the Library, stay for dinner ($15.00), or come for dessert and a dialogue between Norman Gottwald and R. Douglas Bendall as they talk about the relevance of the Center and Library to the work for social justice in the classroom, in the pulpit, and in the street. RSVP info@clbsj.org or 845-405-6470."

In addition to the amenities for respite, retreat and research, CLBSJ’s 6,000+ volume library includes the past six years of acquisitions by the Lehman Library of F.O.R. and the libraries of half a dozen scholars and activists including Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, Professors Norman Gottwald and Jack Elliott, and Mark Johnson.

What could the Center & Library offer you?

• Fully catalogued in renovated space, a library and conferencing venue to support scholarship and engaged activism: Students, Faculty, Activists, Pastors, Researchers, Preachers, Advocates, Seminarians, Movement Builders, Writers, Liturgists, Librarians, Lay Leaders, Seekers.
• With 6000+ volumes that extend over the fields of study of the Bible, philosophy, ethics and their intersection with anthropology, sociology, economy, ecology, political science, history, CLBSJ represents a rich and concentrated research base.
• On the campus of a 180-bed retreat center, served though the hospitality of its Community of Living Traditions, with the capacity to support residences and host symposia, colloquia, dialogues, a relaxed, safe setting in which to explore difficult questions, deep concerns.

Death Before the Fall?: New Book on Animal Suffering by Ron Osborn

IVP Academic has just published a book by APF Executive Director Ron Osborn on the creation/evolution debate in which he wrestles with the problem of animal suffering and extends the ethics of nonviolence toward non-human animals. For news, reviews, and updates about the book, visit: www.deathbeforethefall.com. Walter Brueggemann, noted professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, writes:

Ronald Osborn, with an agile mind and a well-informed intellect, throws down the gauntlet concerning misreading of the Genesis narratives. Taking aim at literalists and fundamentalists, he probes the ways in which one-dimensional reading distorts. Along the way he takes up issues of theodicy as they pertain to all of creation and to the animal realm in particular. Readers can expect to be jolted, surprised and challenged by this forthright statement.

The book is attracting attention within the Adventist community as well, with multiple reviews online:

• Book Notice and Commentary: Death Before the Fall, Ervin Taylor, Adventist Today, 28 February 2014.
• Review: Death Before the Fall -- Ronald E. Osborn, Jack Hoehn, Adventist Today, 3 March 2014.
• Biblical Literalism and the Problem of Animal Suffering: A Review of Ron Osborn's New Book, Daryll Ward, Spectrum, 4 February 2014.

For more, visit: www.deathbeforethefall.com.

International Symposium: The Impact of World War I on Seventh-day Adventism

The Institute of Adventist Studies at Friedensau University will host an international symposium entitled "The Impact of World War I on Seventh-day Adventism" (Germany, May 12–15, 2014). One hundred years ago, the so-called “Great War” broke out, which not only shaped the history of the 20th century in Europe and beyond, but also had lasting repercussions on the Seventh-day Adventist Church. For this reason, the Institute of Adventist Studies is organizing an academic symposium in Friedensau, Germany.

Scholars and interested individuals are invited to participate in this conference and hear/discuss the findings of 16 internationally known researchers. The symposium deals mainly with the following issues: prophetic interpretation (“The sick man at the Bosporus”), Adventists und military service, and the so-called “Reform Movement”, the largest offshoot in the history of the denomination. The conference language is English.

The 16 presenters are: George Knight, Bert Haloviak, Ronald Lawson, Douglas Morgan, Gilbert Valentine (all USA); Daniel Reynaud (Australia), Michael Pearson (Great Britain), Reinder Bruinsma (Netherlands), Richard Müller (Denmark), Hjorleifur Stefánsson (Iceland), Eugene Zaitsev (Russia); Denis Kaiser, Johannes Hartlapp, Daniel Heinz, Stefan Höschele und Rolf Pöhler (Germany).

Event Details

Registration: gaestehaus@thh-friedensau.de; Phone ++49-3921-916-160 (office) and ++49-175-5742677 (mobile)

Location: Friedensau Adventist University, D-39291 Möckern-Friedensau, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

Learn more on the symposium website.

Union College Graduate Involved in Ukranian Protest

Serhiy Horokhovskyy, who studied religion at Union College, is currently involved in the political protests in Kiev, Ukraine, according to the Lincoln Journal Star ("Union College grad at the center of Ukrainian riots," Chris Dunker, 19 Feb 2014; the included picture is copied from Dunker's article as well). Excerpt:

Carrying heavy logs alongside priests and other Ukrainians, he spent Tuesday night stoking the fires preventing riot police from storming the protester camp in Kiev’s Independence Square.

Talking by video chat late Wednesday morning, Horokhovskyy said he planned to return to the barricades Wednesday night to keep the fires going, carry out the wounded and keep standing for what he believes is the right future for his country.

But he realizes the circumstances have changed drastically after 25 people -- including nine police officers -- were killed and more than 1,000 wounded in Tuesday night riots, prompting President Viktor Yanukovych to promise a swift crackdown on “extremist groups” who began as peaceful protesters in November.

The complete article can be accessed on the Lincoln Journal Star website.

Anti-Defamation League Honors John Weidner Posthumously

The Anti-Defamation League recently honored John Weidner posthumously. During WWII Weidner formed the Dutch-Paris, an underground network responsible for smuggling more than 1,000 Jews and others out of the reach of Nazi forces. Spectrum reported on the story in late January (First-ever posthumous award from the Anti-Defamation League to an Adventist, 31 Jan 2014), and the award was given in early February. Excerpt from the Spectrum article:

At its annual meeting in February, the Anti-Defamation League will present the Jan Karski “Courage to Care” award to a man credited for saving over 1,000 Jewish men, women, and children, Allied pilots, and political opponents of the Nazis during the Second World War.

The coveted award will go Johan Hendrick (John Henry) Weidner who, at the age of 29, founded Dutch-Paris which became the largest and most successful underground network rescuing people being persecuted for their faith or race. In its heyday, some 300 people participated in the underground which escorted refugees over the Alps to safety in neutral Switzerland or Spain. For his efforts, Weidner became one of the most sought of the underground leaders of France, and for whom the Gestapo offered five million francs for his arrest.

On February 7, 2014, The Anti-Defamation League posted three stories about the award:

• ADL Posthumously Honors Dutch Hero John Henry Weidner for Saving Hundreds from the Holocaust
• ADL Jan Karski Courage to Care Award Acceptance Remarks by Dr. Kurt Ganter
• Abraham H. Foxman Posthumous Presentation of ADL Jan Karski Courage to Care Award to John Henry Weidner

Additional resources about John Weidner and the Dutch-Paris:

Articles

• Gabrielle Weidner (Holocaust Encyclopedia)
• Gabrielle's Story (Wilona Karimabadi, Adventist Review, 25 July 2013)
• Running from Death (Wilona Karimabadi, Adventist Review, 7 July 2008)
• Dr. Johan Hendrik Weidner (Holocaust Encyclopedia)

Books 

• Flee the Captor (Herbert Ford, Review and Herald, 1979)
• The Courage to Care (Carol Rittner, Sondra Myers, New York University Press, 1986)
• Three additional books listed at Adventists for Social Action.

Films

• Way to Freedom (YouTube, 1967)

Websites 

• Weidner Foundation
• How to Flee the Gestapo (blog)
• Johan Hendrik Weidner (Wikipedia)
• Dutch-Paris (Wikipedia)
• Dutch-Paris Lines (WWII Netherlands Escape Lines)

Union College to Honor Veterans at Homecoming

Union College will honor alumni veterans this year during the school's annual homecoming weekend (April 3-6). Of special note are members of the Medical Cadet Corps. In the school's mailer, Alumni Association President Ardis Dick Stenbakken writes:

You may be aware of the important place Union College and the Medical Cadet Corps have had for our church and the young people who served our country in the military after taking that training, as well as others who have given military service. This year is our time to honor and remember the influence of these individuals. If you served in the military, please make sure that Union College has your information.... We want to remember and honor you at this year's celebration.

This announcement made me wonder if any Adventist military veterans are members of Veterans for Peace. If you are all three--Adventist, veteran, and member of Veterans for Peace--we invite you to get in contact with APF leadership. We would like to hear your stories and possibly connect you with other like-minded Adventists.

Desmond Doss Honored with U.S. Stamp

On November 27, 2013, Mark Kellner reported on the Adventist Reviewwebsite that Desmond Doss has been honored by inclusion on a collection of U.S. stamps commemorating Medal of Honor Winners. The article begins:

The back of panes carrying self-adhesive “World War II Medal of Honor” U.S. commemorative stamps released in Washington, D.C., on November 11, 2013, bear the name of a Seventh-day Adventist who received the nation’s highest military honor, but who also refused to carry a weapon.

Desmond T. Doss, Sr., was a lifelong Adventist who in World War II was credited with saving the lives of 75 wounded soldiers during a battle on Okinawa. He was the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor, presented to him by then-U.S. president Harry S. Truman in a White House ceremony. He was one of 464 people to receive the Medal of Honor during the conflict.

The complete article is available here.

Note: The included photo was copied from the above Adventist Review article.

62 National Peace and Security, Faith Groups Against New Iran Sanctions

Jan 14, 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Kate Gould kate@fcnl.org 202-547-6000

Washington, D.C.--News release: Sixty-two national peace and security and faith-based organizations sent a letter to the U.S. Senate today, urging senators to oppose new sanctions against Iran.

This diverse coalition urged senators to oppose the Menendez-Kirk sanctions legislation (S. 1881), warning that "Senate passage of new Iran sanctions would critically endanger the possibility of a diplomatic resolution to the nuclear standoff with Iran, increasing the likelihood of a nuclear-armed Iran and an unnecessary and costly war."

“This unprecedented national coalition against new sanctions collectively represents the millions of U.S. voters who are wholly opposed to another U.S. war in the Middle East," said Kate Gould, FCNL’s Legislative Associate for Middle East Policy. “This letter clearly demonstrates that the grassroots, the netroots, the peace and security community, and people of faith are united in pressing our lawmakers to support, not sabotage, the historic diplomacy now underway. "

Along with the multiple Jewish and Muslim groups joining this coalition, the signers included national faith groups representing the Catholic, Evangelical, Orthodox, Methodist, and Baptist traditions, in addition to leaders from the historic peace church traditions of the Quakers and Mennonites.

This broad coalition includes Jewish-American groups like J Street and Americans for Peace Now and Iranian-American groups, including the National Iranian American Council. Signers also included Move On, the American Values Network, Daily Kos, Sojourners, and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

The full text of the letter follows below. ***

To: Members of the U.S. Senate

The following 62 organizations are writing to warn that Senate passage of new Iran sanctions would critically endanger the possibility of a diplomatic resolution to the nuclear standoff with Iran, increasing the likelihood of a nuclear-armed Iran and an unnecessary and costly war. We call on you to not cosponsor S.1881 (the “Nuclear Weapon-Free Iran Act of 2013”) and strongly discourage Senate consideration of new Iran sanctions while negotiations proceed.

The Joint Plan of Action signed between the P5+1 and Iran in November boosts American and regional security by freezing and rolling back Iran’s nuclear program for the first time in nearly a decade. The agreement also institutes unprecedented transparency for international inspectors, including daily inspection of Iran’s enrichment facilities.

However, as part of the agreement, the U.S. has agreed to “refrain from imposing new nuclear-related sanctions” on Iran. Even with the delay mechanisms included in S.1881, U.S. and Iranian officials warn that new Congressional sanctions would kill the deal. The White House has added that new Congressional sanctions would be perceived as a sign of bad faith by allies critical to the enforcement of the sanctions regime, including the other permanent members of the UN Security Council. As a result, new sanctions will erode rather than strengthen our leverage for negotiations. Further, an unclassified U.S. intelligence assessment warns that, “new sanctions would undermine the prospects for a successful comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran.”

S.1881 also sets insurmountable demands for a comprehensive nuclear deal by insisting that Iran dismantle its entire “nuclear infrastructure, including enrichment and reprocessing capabilities and facilities.” Such a demand is a poison pill for negotiations and is not necessary to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.

Further, any comprehensive deal will require trading in existing sanctions for Iranian nuclear concessions. But the sanctions provisions included in S.1881 could only be waived by the President for a final nuclear deal if Iran agrees to the zero enrichment demand, effectively eliminating the President’s ability to offer sanctions relief. Rather than attack Presidential waiver authority, Congress should ensure that the President has full authority to lift sanctions as part of a comprehensive deal.

By foreclosing diplomatic prospects, new sanctions would set us on a path to war. The American people have made it clear that they do not want another war in the Middle East and strongly support pursuing diplomatic prospects until they are exhausted. It would be the height of irresponsibility to step in and undercut diplomatic negotiations before this opportunity has the chance to bear fruit.

We strongly urge you to withhold co-sponsorship of S.1881 and delay consideration of new Iran sanctions while negotiations are ongoing.

Sincerely,

National Iranian American Council Friends Committee on National Legislation Win Without War Adventist Peace Fellowship American Friends Service Committee Americans for Peace Now AntiWar.com Augustinians Province of St. Thomas Villanova Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America Berim Center for Interfaith Engagement, Eastern Mennonite University Center for International Policy CODEPINK Come Home America Conference of Major Superiors of Men Council for a Livable World CREDO Daily Kos Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding Evangelicals for Social Action Fellowship of Reconciliation Franciscan Action Network Global Exchange Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ GlobalSolutions.org Havaar Institute for Policy Studies, New Internationalism Project Islamic Society of North America J Street Jewish Voice for Peace Just Foreign Policy Maryknoll Office For Global Concerns Mennonite Central Committee U.S. MoveOn.org Multifaith Voices for Peace and Justice Muslim Public Affairs Voice Muslims for Progressive Values New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good On Earth Peace Orthodox Peace Fellowship Pax Christi International Peace Action Peace Action West Physicians for Social Responsibility Presbyterian Church (USA) Progressive Democrats of America River University Chaplain The Shalom Center Shomer Shalom Network for Jewish Nonviolence Society of the Divine Savior - American Province Sojourners Tikkun/The Network of Spiritual Progressives United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society U.S. Province of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit USAction Veterans for Peace Women’s Action for New Directions Young Democrats of America

* * *

The letter can be viewed online here. 

We Are Conscientious Objectors by Nathan Brown

In his latest article in the "Engage" series for Adventist World, Nathan Brown considers the Adventist movement's historic support for conscientious objection (CO) and the significance of this stance today. Brown writes:

Desmond Doss was a true Adventist hero and—as evidenced by the success of Benedict’s excellent documentary—his story is one that can connect with people beyond our church. But the real value of such stories is not only to offer us a hero or role model, or even a reflection of what our faith can look like at its best, they should also prompt and guide us toward living with similar courage, principles, and faithfulness in our time and place.

Brown later calls readers to connect the CO conviction with present social realities.

Imagine if, amid the ongoing debates and tragedies, we remembered that historically we are conscientious objectors. Imagine if we as a church stood up and spoke out, calling on our church members, and all other people of good will, to live as conscientious objectors today. And imagine if we were not only talking militarily, that in the face of ongoing social and cultural violence we chose to be civilian conscientious objectors, disarming ourselves, our homes, and our churches.

The complete article ("We are Conscientious Objectors") can be accessed online here.

In regard to "our churches," readers can consider the steps listed on this website for making their congregations peace churches.

Peace First Prize

Peace First is excited to announce the launch of the second annual Peace First Prize! The Peace First Prize recognizes impressive young people who are creating positive change in their schools and communities. No project is too small. We want to hear about the incredible work that young people are doing and to celebrate their work publicly. The Peace First Prize is open to young people ages 8–22 and will be awarded to 5–10 young leaders who have demonstrated compassion, courage and the power to create collaborative change. Winners will each receive $25,000 over two years and join the Peace First Fellowship program to support their peacemaking work.

This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase a young person you know, encourage their leadership, and appreciate their contributions to the community. Nominate an outstanding young person for the Peace First Prize today! Nominating someone is a great way to show them you support their work and believe in them as a peacemaker and leader. It is also very simple. Just share some information about their work and let us know how to get in touch through the short Nomination Form on our website.

Nominations are open through Monday, March 17. We need your help finding young peacemakers in your community to celebrate, and spreading the word about the Peace First Prize. Please visit www.peacefirst.org/prize for more information.