Week 8: Hauerwas Reading Thoughts

The Hauerwas reading gave me a few things to think about when I reflect on this big issue of the United States right now. I've never given much thought to the logic behind the pacifists' ways before and how that belief will apply to this kind of situation, but this reading certainly gave me a good glimpse of it. While reading what Hauerwas had to say, I reflected upon the immediate response to 9/11. I remember President Bush declaring "we are at war" on the news after the event. What stuck out to me was when he pointed out that if, indeed, we are at war, then that must mean that Bin Laden was a warrior fighting for his cause just as much as we are fighting for ours. He's not a murderer that slayed many innocent U.S. citizens. For me, that way of looking at it, is just unacceptable.

Hauerwas also brought up how Americans only feel safe when we're at war because that means we're fighting to end something. We are in action, and that gives us comfort. The fact that war may be giving us comfort is a terrifying thought for me. I haven't thought much of this but, right now, I feel that we cannot possibly achieve peace through war. That totally defeats the purpose. This is why, thanks to the Hauerwas reading, I'm starting to consider the pacifist's rationale. I'm not saying that I will surely be one but, as a Christian, what Hauerwas said did resonate with me. I always ask "What does God want us to do in this situation?" and I am not confident to rule out the pacifist way.

When people say pacifist, I think nonviolence. In regards to the war, some people may think right away they're just those narrow-minded people that would accept mass suicide and not defending ourselves against terrorists. Yes, pacifism is an extreme, and that's probably why some react negatively to that kind of response. One may be accused of non-patriotism. However, I see now that that's not necessarily the case. Even though it's still very hazy, I have a slight picture now of what pacifists see when they commit to their beliefs. According to Hauerwas, it's a "church constituted by people who would rather die than kill".

I think people should never close their minds to all the various ways one can take action. In this reading, Hauerwas considers some of the ways others approach war and gave his take on it, and with that, I'm taking everything into consideration.