I’m currently trying to write, or perhaps its put off writing, this Sunday’s sermon on the issue of Peacemaking, pacifism and Unitarian Universalism. There is a call for considering whether UUs should formally become a “peace church.” While this isn’t a historical position of either Unitarians or Universalists (who, among other things were largely in favor of a civil war in America if it led to the freeing of slaves, for instance), it seems a majority of contemporary UUs are pacifist or pacifist leaning. A thorny issue. As a Buddhist I have a strong inclination to pacifism. As one who attempts to be “real-world” and reasonable/rational (the “liberal” part of my self-defined “liberal Buddhist) I’m deeply aware how we humans are pretty violent creatures, and more, there appear to be times when violence seems the only appropriate response to a given situation. (Examples abound…)
Then, on the other hand (is this the third, or forth hand?) there are all those pesky unintended consequences…
This puts me in the “pacifist leaning” camp, but with more “on the other hands” than Tevye.
What generates this little post, however, is finding a reference to “pro-war Buddhist monks” disrupting a peace demonstration in Sri Lanka…
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