This has been a fast-paced world at war weekend. On Sunday morning when I woke up, reflecting on news through the night that Israel/USA had bombed Iran, I thought about an ADU post along the lines of "How to pray this week for Iran?" But early this afternoon, after two services and no checking my phone re news, I learned that Israel/USA's strike had achieved ruler-change, even if regime-change (a la Iraq) or regime-modification (a la Venezuela) is yet to be determined. This post is a bit more leaning towards questions such as "Should Israel/USA have breached the sovereignty of a nation in a first strike situation?" and "Is it ever ok to assassinate the ruler of another nation?" - philosophy more than prayer!
In the background to the questions in the title of this post is observing on X some commentary - to be frank, from the usual suspects - from an ordinary, secular perspective along the "this breaks convention, this is against usual protocols, and *remember the debacle of Iraq*" lines. And, also from a Christian perspective, "Does the current bombing, including the taking out of Khameni and other leaders, meet just war criteria? Answer: No."
Of course Operation Epic Fury is receiving support as well as criticism, with support including rejoinders to the usual suspects above along the "Oh, so you don't care about all the protestors recently killed, including women and girls, and just want to give the horrific, hated leaders in Iran a free pass to kill their own citizens" lines.
Also "of course" (as some are observing) one can hold two propositions simultaneously in this context:
1. Rejoicing that Ayatollah Khameni is dead and his deadly rule is over.
2. Questioning (e.g. from a just war theory perspective) that the initiative for this death has come as a first strike rather than a defensive response to a first strike.
Ditto, one can hold to a reasonable hope and a rational fear simultaneously:
3. Hoping that the bombings do lead to regime change, especially towards democracy, meaning an opportunity for every individual Iranian to flourish in ways currently restricted by the current Islamist regime.
4. Fearing that things in Iran will get worse rather than better, because regime change is sometimes, in time, a worse outcome for people: see Afghanistan today and the harsher Taliban government currently in power there than any previous government.
This weekend "the hounds have been unleashed" but (whether from a secular principles or just war theological concern) might it be better to have "let sleeping dogs lie"?
Further,
5. Is it completely irrational to yet worry that we are now one significant step along the way to World War Three?
Nevertheless, we might usefully consider some details in the overall situation being addressed by political philosophers and theologians.
6. Iran is not an innocent player in this situation. It has clearly been a "first striker" inasmuch as it has fuelled proxy war against Israel for years via Hezbollah to the north and Hamas to the south. It has repeatedly made "Death to Israel" and "Death to America" threats which cannot be considered to be mere words given its military prowess, and especially given its development of nuclear technology which it has never wholly enabled the wider world to rest easy that no nuclear weapons were aspired to.
7. Iran is not an innocent player in this situation. It has clearly imposed a regime of constraint, restriction, punishment and execution on its citizens, from women unwillingly wearing the hijab through to protestors, especially in recent weeks. This is and always has been since 1979 a brutal regime. Khameni and his henchmen have the blood of many innocent people on their hands. They may have died unjustly because no one arrested them, tried them and punished them via the rule of law; but they did not die unjustly because they were innocent of murder.
However, the consequences of "Might is Right" which tramples its way through the world today, are yet unseen. Just because on this occasion Might may have been Right doesn't mean any advance on the case that "Might is Right" is morally, let alone legally right!
So, this week, we pray for Iran, we pray for our world. We may not know what to pray for (other than generally, for peace, for justice, for an end to violence as a means to various ends, for all Iranians and all humans to flourish) but we know to Whom we pray, and God is Wise, is Just, is Love, is Power. God is Life, not Death.
17 comments:
"Do we support this action?" (I.e. bombing Iran, assassinating its leader, including his daughter, grandchild, and over 150 children in a school).
Chris Luxon keeps bungling the question, driving Corin Dann half mad on RNZ.
He can't answer.
We seem to be in the realm of Mafia logic, Mafia ethics, where Tony Soprano viciously kills an even more vicious ganglord. Send in a dictator to kill a dictator. Let this killing act as a massive distraction for the dictator's own moral and political corruption at home, etc.
The Christian answer, as always, will be to pray for peace, dispense acts of charity, and urge everyone to return to dialogue and international law. To see Christ in the very least.
https://www.ncronline.org/pope-warns-tragedy-enormous-proportions-after-us-israeli-strikes-iran
Pray for folk in America too.
*Regime Change Abroad to Avoid Regime Change at Home*
"Donald Trump may frame this as a necessary confrontation with a foreign adversary. He will undoubtedly claim it as “his” war. But if the true effect is to weaken elections, concentrate power, and suppress dissent, then the ultimate target is not Tehran. It is the American people."
(final paragraph from an essay published today per a serious Substack site I follow, The Steady State)
https://steadystate1.substack.com/p/regime-change-abroad-to-avoid-regime
Thanks for the link you shared, Mark. Good call. Wow.
"The American-born pope called on all countries involved in the conflict to "assume the moral responsibility of stopping the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss," after praying the Angelus in St. Peter's Square March 1."
It was "irreparable abyss" that struck me, like, really deeply. How often does a Pope use such strong language? I'm still reeling. Abyss is bad enough, but IRREPARABLE abyss. Lord have mercy!
Another useful article about Pope Leo and his response to this and other conflicts:
https://www.thelettersfromleo.com/p/stop-the-spiral-of-violence-pope
Thanks for the great link, Elizabeth!
Yes, that's very strong language for a (by nature) very calm, considered man. He means it.
Of course, Trump - and no one really - has any idea of the consequence of killing the Supreme Leader of one of the most enduring and violent religious ideologies in the modern world. I fear the "irreparable abyss" involves Americans being targets for brutal violence, both abroad and at home, for many, many years to come.
Well you sum up most of the deliberations well +Peter
The day before I had a wasp nest removed from under the eaves of my unit, and when I heard the news I couldn’t help but think poking a wasps nest was an apt analogy!
Some (emphasis on the some) of what Trump has done under his time in power I can see has potentially beneficial outcomes (aka drug trade in Sth America, supporting home grown industries) however, in my estimation his motivation for doing so and the way he does it don’t sit alongside the magnanimous pretensions. It often from the sidelines looks like “you praise me and do what I want, I like you and you can be my friend.” “You disagree and don’t do what I want, I do not like you.”
I can see why Israel has had enough of Iran with the funding and training of Hezbollah and Hammas and by doing so fuelled discontent and violence against Israel for along time (Hammas aren’t even Shia). In many ways orchestrating a covert war in a region where they have no skin in the game. There is also no doubt about the oppression from their leaders that ordinary Iranian’s have lived with for many years.
Pray it is I ended up with, much prayer!!
Did it break international law. Iran’s funding of terrorist organisations also breaks international law. Checkmate.
Brian Kaylor's published a post that "looks at mainline Protestant and Catholic criticism of the Trump administration’s actions in Iran and the pleas for peace by Middle Eastern Christian leaders." So helpful to have this.
The link takes you directly into the post, down to the relevant part:
Mainline and Catholic Condemnation, then..
Middle East Christians in the Crossfire
https://publicwitness.wordandway.org/i/189664883/mainline-and-catholic-condemnation
Gafcon about to select its own "first among equals" (so long as thode equals are only men):
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgrz1rx0ejzo
Hi Mark, re consequence (your comment March 2, 5:03 PM)
Yes, I totally agree but had nothing to add at the time. Responding now because I *do* have an authoritative article, that I've just read, that informs this concern - from a man who worked in DHS in the first DT Administration. DT was warned at that time by DHS of important issues re consequences - so his response was to sideline DHS! The truth is simply too inconvenient to his agenda, he doesn't CARE! Foolhardy in the extreme, I've no doubt there'll be hell to pay sooner or later.
https://www.defiance.news/p/dhs-opposed-war-with-iran-trump-ignored
Thanks Mark, I've paid attention to what you've said, and I'm back on Trumpy track....
"God is Wise, is Just, is Love, is Power. God is Life, not Death" (+Peter)
Yes, I believe that. What god is this though?
*
"Independent journalist Jonathan Larsen reported on 2 March that numerous US service members have lodged dozens of complaints saying senior officers are calling the war on Iran part of “God’s divine plan,” with claims that US President Donald Trump was “anointed by Jesus” to spark Armageddon."
Selection from near the end:
"In a 2025 address to a gathering of around 800 US generals and admirals, Hegseth called on military leaders to abandon “stupid rules of engagement” in favor of “maximum lethality,” telling those uncomfortable with his directive to resign."
https://thecradle.co/articles-id/36259
*
I'd already read Mr Larsen's article last night so I can provide the link:
https://jonathanlarsen.substack.com/p/us-troops-were-told-iran-war-is-for
*
This morning I've just read Rev. Benjamin Cremer's view (Substack 'notes') - first paragraph:
"When a commander tells American troops that war with Iran is part of “God’s divine plan,” that a sitting president is “anointed by Jesus” to ignite Armageddon, and when over a hundred complaints arise across dozens of units, including from believers themselves, both our theological and constitutional alarm bells need to be going off."
Here's the link to his whole 'note', I'm unsure if the link works if you're not a Substack member, but give it a go:
https://substack.com/@brcremer/note/c-222457065
Thanks for comments in this thread. No time, as per usual, to reply even a fraction of "properly". Yes, possible future post or posts re developments this week, including the new supplementary to the so-called Nairobi-Cairo proposals, and GAFCON's move to an Anglican primate of primates, or anti-Archbishop of Canterbury or ???.
One quick comment: beliefs do matter. Much as I would like to be part of one united global church, I am not a Catholic because I do not believe everything the Catholic church would have me sign up to; nor am I aligned to GAFCON because I could not put my hand on my heart and agree with their approach to the rainbow community, and their amibuity over the ordination of women to the episcopacy (and priesthood and diaconate); nor the Baptists because I do believe that infants of believers can be baptised; etc etc ... and I imagine most readers here would be similar. (There are some things I could compromise on, for the sake of greater fellowship with, say, Catholics, GAFCON Anglicans and Baptists; but there would remain some things I could not compromise on.) Unity matters. Belief matters. We may not yet be joined as "one" (as Christ has prayed) but the hurdles to that joning together are real and in some matters very high!
A quick mention that I saw on your sidebar +Peter that the Bishop of Guildford has died and I was taken aback. I only recognise him because he was a John Smythe survivor so I'd taken notice; the details are at Thinking Anglicans https://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/bishop-of-guildford-has-died/ I'm sad to read this, may he rest in peace.
In response to Peter, above:
Thank you. Yes, beliefs matter. I am on a journey in that regards.
But the way I'm using Catholic is not to conflate it with Roman Catholic, but (1) in a broad sense is what the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral speaks of as those that are duly baptized in the trinitarian formula (as my wife and kids are) are members of "the Holy Catholic Church", and (2) when I mention being Catholic "in my blood" (post now deleted as felt too exposing), I think what I mean the personal imprint (formation, salvation) to what Michael Ramsey says in The Anglican Spirit: "in Anglican theology...through the centuries the Incarnation has been a more central and prominent doctrine...than justification or predestination."
"Conservative Anglicans meeting in Nigeria's capital Abuja have pulled back on plans to elect a rival "primus inter pares" - the Latin term meaning "first among equals" which describes the Archbishop of Canterbury's position within the worldwide church, where Sarah Mullally is considered the ceremonial leader.
Electing another person with the same title would have been seen by many as an open challenge to the leadership of the first female Archbishop of Canterbury just weeks before she formally begins the job.
Instead, the group, known as Gafcon, says it is leaving behind old structures and old titles, and is now unveiling a new leadership council headed by Rwanda's Archbishop Laurent Mbanda."
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62ddy7qwqzo
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