Is peace merely personal? Are we responsible for creating a world of peace for others? Our scriptural heritage is often ambiguous on the issue since there are calls to war almost as frequently as to peace. But the fundamental grounding leads us away from the tribal roots of antiquity to a new, a different, and a more just world. Jesus' teachings are demanding, leading us to renounce violence and follow the paths of peace. Moreover, we are called to extend peace to everyone: "…so he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near." (Eph. 2:17).

The California Council of Churches has a long history of witness for peace in times of war. War breeds not only violence, but also injustice. We are warned in 1 Timothy against false teachers and laws that turn us toward rather than away from violence. We cannot be silent in the face of national violence and the persecution of the innocent, even in the name of national security.

Our work is to promote paths to peace and the cessation of war. International conflicts must be resolved by not only the least violent means but with the assurance that all God's people are accorded their humanity. To these ends, we work to end the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, to promote the end the use of torture and all its rationales, and to find means to bring perpetrators of violence to account for their horrors without destroying the lives of innocent people around them. We promote the use of laws that protect human rights while pursuing formal justice and ask a public accounting of our national leaders in affirming both moral and Constitutional rights even in times of grave conflict and danger.