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Kindschi Faith and Justice Symposium

Artwork from Joel Mulindwa's "Chaos Portfolio"
By Jax Johnson

Beginning on January 30th and continuing through February 2nd, the Center for Faith, Justice and Global Engagement will host their annual Kindschi Faith and Justice Symposium, which will be centered around the theme of “War and Conflict: Creating Sanctuaries in Times of Violence”. 

The Symposium will feature five different events throughout the week:(1) a lecture with Belinda Bauman, (2) a workshop with Elsa Barron, (3) an art gallery opening and discussion with Houghton alumnus Joel Mulindwa, (4) a lunch discussion with Theodore Kuchar, and (5) a panel discussion on conflict-induced migration. 

As the director of the Center for Faith, Justice and Global Engagement, Brian Webb has worked to organize this event and says that he is, “excited about this year’s speakers, who will address conflict from many different perspectives, including its impact on immigration, the environment, social justice, and interpersonal relationships.” He also talks about this year’s theme, saying, “‘War and Conflict: Creating sanctuaries amid the violence’ is certainly appropriate for today. While the war in Ukraine looms large in our minds, there are many other conflicts going on around the world today from Afghanistan to South Sudan to the Congo to Yemen. Conflict is not only horrific in its own right, but it also exacerbates other global challenges including human migration, hunger, and poverty.” 

Of the five symposium events, all will host a variety of perspectives and ideas. The first event is a lecture given by Belinda Bauman on Monday, Jan. 30., from 7. to 8:15 p.m. in Library 323. Bauman’s lecture is titled, “From Wrong to Strong: How Trauma Can Forge Resilience” and follows the topic of trauma and how to overcome it. 

The second event is a symposium workshop with Elsa Barron called “Faith in the Future: Environmental Peacebuilding in the Face of Conflict and Climate Change”, which discusses the connection between conflict and climate change, and how the two can have a strong impact on the other. This workshop will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 31, from 4:30 -5:45 p.m. in Library 323. 

On Tuesday, Jan. 31.,from 7-8 p.m. in the Wesley Chapel Art Gallery, there will be an art gallery opening and discussion with Artist and Houghton alumnus Joel Mulindwa, who brings light to the stories of both the victims and the perpetrators of war. 

On Wednesday, Feb. 1, a lunch discussion will occur from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the South End Dining Hall with conductor Theodore Kuchar, who will  talk about the dynamics between Russia and Ukraine to illuminate the complexities of the situation. In conjunction with this event, Kuchar will lead the Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine in the Westley Chapel at 7:30 p.m. that same night;tickets for the concert can be purchased from the Houghton Hub. 

The symposium will close with a panel discussion on conflict-induced migration on Thursday, Feb. 2, from 7-8:15 p.m. in the Center for the ArtsRecital Hall. This event will present stories of those who have been affected by conflict , while also showing the hope that can be gathered. 

The Kindschi Faith and Justice Symposium offers a wide variety of events that shed light on the impact of world conflicts, as well as the stories of those who have been impacted by them.   By participating in these events, people have the opportunity to learn something new while connecting this knowledge with a foundation in faith. ★

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Remember, Remember, the 11th of November

Today is Veterans Day 2016. This is the holiday on which we honor all those who served, or are serving, in the United States Armed Forces. Earlier this week we had a Presidential Election. Many of us exercised our right to vote for our leaders and representatives in the government. For most citizens, however, their contribution to the maintenance of society goes no further than casting a vote every few years. Not so for a veteran. President Reagan said, “Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But the Marines don’t have that problem.” This sentiment gets at the heart of the civilian/soldier divide. Because the Marines (and all veterans) pledged themselves to a cause greater than the individual, they will never worry whether their contribution to society mattered. Every veteran, in the Oath of Enlistment, said these words: “I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies…and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me…” Veterans are those who were willing to give their lives in the service of our nation as a whole, to sacrifice their personal dreams for the sake of a bigger one, to value the good of the community over that of the individual. They are the most selfless among us, and while they do not seek or ask for honor, they deserve it.

Photo by: Nate Moore
Photo by: Nate Moore

But November 11 was not always celebrated as Veterans Day. Previously it was known as Remembrance/Armistice Day (as it still is in most countries outside the U.S.). This was the day on which the Great War came to an end. It was supposed to be the end of “the war to end all wars.” Unfortunately, the Great War was not the end of all wars; on the contrary, a second world war shortly followed the first, bringing with it to earth a part of hell never seen before or after. We have seen genocides on almost every corner of the globe, conflict in the Middle East, and the rise of global terrorism. War has by no means gone away.

But, as President Obama said earlier this year, “We’re fortunate to be living in the most peaceful era in human history,” a fact attested to by historians and sociologist. Even though the world has been, and in some regards still is, a brutal and nasty place, things generally are getting better. Globally, we are living longer than ever, extreme poverty is declining, deaths from major diseases are at an all-time low, and back to this piece’s topic, deaths from war are now at a historic low point. Of course war has not been eradicated, but it seems as if the sacrifices of previous generations have payed off, at least for now.

mattquote-2Armistice/Veterans Day provides the opportunity to reflect on the past and, hopefully, to apply what we can learn from reflection towards building a brighter tomorrow. Veterans deserve our recognition and respect because they were willing to sacrifice a part of their lives and autonomy in service to the greater good. But as General Schwarzkopf said, “Any soldier worth his salt should be anti-war.” Veterans, above all people, are the ones who must face the demon called “war” on a daily basis. They know what it will cost them and their loved ones. They have seen what war is, and found it wanting. It is not something to be sought after, desired, or romanticized; it is hell, and nothing more.

Hopefully we will find ourselves in a future where there are few to be honored as veterans because there is little need for soldiers. To quote Einstein, “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” We live in a world in which one nuclear (or other technological) mishap could seal the fate of our species. The first two world wars were devastating, and altered the course of history in incalculable ways; but I tremble at the thought of a third. For if there is one, it will surely be the last. So let us not forget the sacrifices made by our veterans; use this day to honor those deserving of honor. But if we wish to see a brighter tomorrow, we must labor together to beat our swords into plowshares, our spears into pruning hooks, and to learn war no more.

Matt is a U.S. Army veteran and a junior philosophy major.

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Opinions

Why I Don’t Care About Abortion

In the aftermath of the L.I.F.E. Club panel, a good portion of the resulting conversation has been devoted to whether or not the question “When does life begin?” was properly addressed. No matter the speaker’s opinion about the panel as a whole, all voices seemed to agree that this is vital question that needs to be addressed before any dialogue concerning abortion can occur. I have to say, I think this precondition is incredibly damaging, regardless of which position you take.

lydai copyThe motives of those who ask this question are the same: to determine whether or not abortion can be considered morally wrong, and therefore punishable by the law. Pro-lifers push toward conception. Pro-choicers push toward birth. Each wants to feel justified in their argument. They want to feel irrefutable. And so they seek out ultimatums. Is abortion murder? From each side comes either a resounding yes or no. The problem is that this becomes the beginning and end of the conversation. No middle ground can be reached. And few people have realized that this is perhaps the most irrelevant question anyone could be asking.

To begin with, let’s look at what’s being said. There are those who are pro-life. They see abortion as a definitive act of killing. Something was created, and abortion destroyed it. They want abortion to be completely illegal. They are “anti-abortion.” If that’s one side of the argument, then the other side should be… “Pro-death”? No, that’s not it. Are they “pro-abortion”? No, that’s not it either. Pro-lifers are anti-abortion, but they are facing off against those who identify themselves as pro-CHOICE. Is it just me, or are “life” and “choice” not exactly opposites? Perhaps the reason the arguments between the two camps haven’t been going anywhere is that they aren’t actually arguing about the same thing.

No one, I can guarantee you, no one besides Daniel Tosh is out there in the world swinging a sign that reads “We should have abortions!” Rather, the appeal is this: “We should have the RIGHT to have abortions!” Most of you reading this will likely believe that abortion is killing, and that killing is wrong. You’ll also most likely think that no one should have the right to kill. But since there’s also no one out there (I’m guessing) with a sign that says “We should have the right to murder!” there must be something different about abortion. There’s clearly a reason that anyone would fight to allow this action, or to contradict its immorality. So, these are the questions that we should be asking, to replace the extraneous question of life: What are the reasons for abortion? And, what can we do to eliminate those reasons?

A person’s choice to have an abortion is, of course, inspired by any number of unfortunate factors: poverty, rape, incest, age, violence, medical issues, mental instability, and any number of extreme situations— there are babies born into slavery and prostitution, babies born destined to end up abandoned.  Whether or not you agree that all of these circumstances merit an abortion, certainly you can see how some of them do, or at the very least, you can recognize the need for a system that can be responsible for the infants it prevents from being aborted. You can recognize the need for improved sex education. You can recognize the need for a change.

So, is abortion murder? Who cares? The truth is, abortion does not matter. It doesn’t. If the main bone you have to pick is simply a question of the beginning and end of life, you need to broaden your focus to include any kind of death—death from war, death from starvation, death disease. All of these deaths, including death from abortion, grow out of the same causes—poverty, power and control, lack of education, terrible situations. Untimely deaths will not cease until these causes are eradicated. So in the meantime, yes: women should have the right to have an abortion. And, no: we should not talk about whether or not that’s wrong. Because the way to prevent abortion, and war, every other kind of injustice in the world is not to tell people to “just stop.” The way to prevent it is to make it unnecessary. That’s an enterprise I think everyone can support, be they pro-life or pro-choice.