Christians have historically had problems figuring out how they should relate to the political establishments in which they resided. As seen in an earlier post, Christians have been too eager to align themselves with Liberal Democracies, especially the United States. In Resident Aliens, Hauerwas and Willimon critique this notion, saying that instead of being Christianity Lite™, Liberal Democracies need war to justify and solidify identity:
“States, particularly liberal democracies are dependent upon war for moral coherence.” [1]
Damn, I think that’s true. I had previously viewed governments as sometimes morally good, often morally evil, but most of all, morally neutral. And here was an explanation that the best of these governments have a vested interest in unjust violence [2] . [3] Their warning from history is particularly poignant:
“if Caesar can get Christians [in 30’s Germany] to swallow the ‘Ultimate Solution’ and Christians here to embrace the bomb, there is no limit to what we will not do for the modern world.” [4]
A Church that was nuked in Nagasaki. Where do our allegiances lie? With the USA, or with God Almighty?
- Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon, Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony, 1st ed. (Abingdon Press, 1989), 35. [↩]
- if violence is ever justified [↩]
- Though, we should expect states to act selfishly. [↩]
- Hauerwas and Willimon, Resident Aliens, 27. [↩]
