Bending the Arc

The 80th anniversary of the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is a time of remembering the horror, repenting the sin, and reclaiming a future without nuclear weapons. It is a time to recommit ourselves to the work of disarming and dismantling the machinery of mass destruction and abolishing war.

Individuals and organizations are invited to endorse the Pax Christi apology petition below. The message with signatures will be sent to the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to Nobel laureate Nihan Hidankyō (the organization of atomic bomb survivors), and to church leaders.

Read about the apology petition and scroll to the end of it to sign. The Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes has signed on and encourages others to do so individually.

What else should you know? In a recent article from Pax Christi USA, it was written:

“Earlier this year, the Union of Concerned Scientists set their Doomsday Clock to 89 seconds before midnight, the closest to Doomsday in its history. If they reset the clock now, it would be even closer for several reasons, not least the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back public health spending and replace renewable energy funding with leases to develop more fossil fuel extraction. More imminent than pandemics or global warming, the possibility of nuclear war threatens most of the world because of ongoing conflicts in Gaza, India-Pakistan, and Ukraine, plus the recent US bombing of nuclear sites in Iran. (Use this link to read Pax Christi USA’s statement on the bombing.) 
Each of these conflicts is persistent and has moved closer to the brink. In Palestine, the cutoff of humanitarian assistance, the rhetoric from the Israeli government, and the renewed bombing in Gaza have raised tensions in the region. In India-Pakistan, the long-standing dispute over Kashmir broke out in drone attacks and dogfights; although the worst violence has receded, the two sides are still shooting at each other, and each has about 170 nuclear warheads. In Ukraine, President Putin’s renewal of threats to use nuclear weapons undercuts the progress made toward peace talks.

“According to Back from the Brink, the attacks on Iran, “initiated by Israel and now joined by the United States, [are] more likely to lead to what both Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump say they are trying to prevent – a nuclear-armed Iran. Iran is now even more closely aligned with Russia and China and has indicated they may withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). A nuclear-armed Iran would likely incentivize several other Middle East nations to pursue the bomb. Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal did not prevent regional conflict but instead fueled military escalation. Iran’s potential pursuit of nuclear capability reflects a global system that rewards brute nuclear force over diplomacy.”

It will be wise for us all to pay close attention to this and act accordingly.