Another common theme associated with the hippie movement is pacifism. It only takes a few minutes of listening to popular songs from the 1960s to figure out that war was not accepted by the hippie movement. Members of the movement focused mainly on the Vietnam War and questioned whether the United States should be involved in conflicts that do not directly impact the U.S. Unfortunately, many took their anti-war stances to the extremes of mocking members of the military, making cruel accusations against soldiers, or, at the very least, ignoring the sacrifices made by those in the U.S. military in support of the United States.
The anti-war campaign revealed another aspect of humanity- the desire for peace. I have personally struggled with the issue of pacifism for the last few years. Those who knew me prior to college (and even some who knew me my first year of college) viewed me as a patriotic Republican who supported all U.S. efforts at world dominance. However, since those years I have come to realize the dark side of war. The taking of life is a significant issue, whether the victim be young or old. While some become enthralled with war to the point of becoming blood-thirsty, the majority of people on this earth have a sense of longing for a time absent of conflict. The hippie movement, in part, reflected this desire for an end to all wars.
The topic of pacifism may be viewed as a touchy subject in the United States, especially among Christians. While we long for peace, the long-term consequences of war (more land, resources, authority, etc.) can often overshadow the short-term consequences (loss of life, destroyed land, high costs, etc.) Many Christians in the United States decide to go with the agenda of the Republican party without question. However, one must question to what extent a follower of Jesus Christ can support warfare. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, for example, was a very peaceful man who spent many years studying theology. Nonetheless, he supported efforts to assassinate Hitler during the Second World War. Of course, few question whether WWII was a just war. Korea, Vietnam, Iraq... These wars are definitely more questionable in terms of just war theory.
A couple of years ago I wrote down a small essay in my moleskin concerning my stance on pacifism. I recall hearing a Q&A with John Piper in which Piper explained his stance on handguns in the house. While not directly linked to war, Piper's words hit me quite hard. In the interview Piper questions whether a Christian man who confronts a burglar should have a gun to defend himself. Piper brought up the concept that it is better for the Christian to die than for the burglar (who is presumably not Christian) to be killed prior to hearing the gospel and possibly coming to faith in Jesus Christ. Of course, God's sovereignty comes into play regarding the salvation of any individual. Nonetheless, one wonders how war should be viewed in light of the gospel and missionary work. For example, should a Christian support a war in the Middle East when Muslims are predominantly being killed without ever hearing the gospel? As I noted earlier, this is a very touchy subject. One might argue, for example, that bringing freedom to a closed society will pave the way for Christians to eventually live freely in the society and spread the gospel.
Pacifism is a fragile subject. To what extent should the Christian object to a war that is being fought by his home country? How can a Christian have a love for peace, yet support war efforts? At what point does the Christian actively pursue peace with regards to government actions? The questions go on and on. The hippie movement in the 1960s revealed the human longing for peace in a world torn up by war. However, few hippies understood that peace is impossible in a world filled with sinful humans. Nonetheless, perhaps we can learn something from the hippies- pacifism is something that should be considered.
With regards to pacifism, I continue to ponder my stance. I hope you think about it, as well. Stay tuned for future posts...
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