A RENEWED CALL FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT – AN URGENT ETHICAL ISSUE by Sr. Brenda Walsh, Racine Dominican
In recent times, there are many calls from various sources to work diligently toward the goal of nuclear disarmament. In the month of August, we remembered the thousands who lost their lives when the US dropped bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Another recent event was the earthquake and tsunami in Japan that led to a fatal accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant causing the loss of many lives and the destruction of the environment.
This led hundreds of thousands of people in Berlin to take to the streets calling for nuclear disarmament. Eight nuclear plants were shut down and the remainder will be abolished by 2022. Leaders in Germany are also making plans to develop alternative energy sources that are safe and clean and will create more jobs.
Leaders of the Catholic Church and other denominations are also speaking out boldly and clearly for the total disarmament of nuclear weapons. In July 2011, the Vatican Ambassador to the UN, Archbishop Chullikatt was invited to give a talk on the subject to an audience in Kansas City. (Aug. 4th issue of Origins gives a full report on this talk, pages 173-178).
The Archbishop declared that “nuclear weapons have threatened humanity for far too long and the world leaders lack the political will to remove the scourge.” He feels now is the time to make a major change in our thinking of nuclear weapons. The money we spend on developing and using the weapons is a gross misplacement of priorities, especially in a world where people are dying of hunger, disease and lack of basic resources. The Archbishop emphasizes that building nuclear arsenals “is nothing short of sinful.” Then he asks us a very important question: “Who gives us the right to take a human life and destroy it?” This is a good question for all of us to ask ourselves. The goal is to work toward a world free of all nuclear weaponry. To accomplish this we need a universal plan to address the issue effectively.
In “Gaudium et Spes”, the church condemns any use of nuclear weapons and the act of war that could wipe out entire communities and “merit unequivocal Condemnation.” Pope Benedict XV1 also spoke at the World Day of Peace in 2006. He asks the question: “What can be said of governments that spend huge amounts of money on nuclear arms while so many are in need?” All of the presenters mentioned here state that nuclear arms do not bring security. They only bring more disaster. In a nuclear war there are no victors, only victims.
The safety issue was also addressed. Even if the nuclear power is developed for a seemingly good cause such as energy use, there is an ongoing danger that any nuclear power developed can be converted to destructive causes and have disastrous results.
What can people do to address this issue?
Today forty nations have the capacity to use nuclear power. That calls for a clear, universal plan to solve the problem. If nations came together to plan for peace and not for war, what a different world this would be. A new level of cooperation at many different levels is needed to bring it about. Let us begin today, trusting in divine presence and assistance, without which it will not happen. Let us continue the journey with courage, conviction and hope.
“Lord, make us channels of Your peace.” |