Allan Slater and pacifism

Last week on a local radio program, Allan Slater of the Christian Coalition for Peace had a chance to explain and promote his upcoming mission. He was about to leave for Iraq in order to promote pacifism to a world wide audience. In his own words he was there to document the plight of the average Iraqi. "War was waged between old men and it was young men that died". His duties included "staying alive and promoting peace" and it was ironic that his actions represented the antithesis to either of these goals unless by peace he meant man acceptance of slavery and genocide and by staying alive he meant saving his own butt through promoting oppression.

You see Allen Slater who does pacifism help? Does pacifism help the oppressed, the victims? No pacifism is only beneficial to the oppressor. Pacifism never helps the victim of a mugging? Pacifism doesn’t ever help victims and in fact it helps the perpetrator, the attacker, dictator, the bully. The victim of an attack receives no benefit fro an onlooker’s "pacifism". He is hoping for no intervention. The oppressors and attackers want people to stay out of the pillaging and genocide. Pacifism is evil’s friend. They are the only ones that receive the benefits of a pacifist creed.

And how does Allan Slater achieve peace? By endlessly compromising values? By being willing to compromise your rational values to whatever whim an attacker, dictator or bully believes. China threatens Taiwan with war and sure death unless they are willing to compromise their values of freedom and democracy. The pacifist would claim well at least being a communist slave is better than fighting and possible injury. This practice of continually compromising your values eventually leads to holding no values. Because really, what’s the point if you are just waiting to compromise them. Imagine the worship of your God being forbidden and having a new religion forced upon you. The pacifist, a glassy eyed pawn would dutifully accept with no intellectual or moral challenge.

Just like only Saddam or Iran benefit from pacifism only individuals and victims are hurt by the apathetic moral creed. Peace cannot logically be a primary value—unless you believe in slavery and oppression— instead peace is a symptom of freedom and the observance of individual rights and limited governments. And when men like Allan Slater, trudge about self righteously claiming to help the victims let it be known they are instead giving moral credibility to evil which is only beneficial to evil.

Next Week: an examination of Allan Slater’s defense; moral equivilance.