Peace, Christianity, Anarchy Go Together, Says Professor
Mary Chadwick/News Editor
Issue date: 3/8/06 Section: News
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Colman McCarthy, founder and president of the Center for Teaching Peace located in Washington D.C. visited UD this past week to talk about the need for non-violence to be taught in conjunction with Christianity in the classroom. A renowned journalist and current Georgetown professor, McCarthy has dedicated his life to teaching alternatives to violence in both high school and college courses.
McCarthy bases his philosophy on the early Christian Pacifism taught in the bible. He explained that the reason Americans and Christians use violence as a solution so quickly and easily is because we have peace-illiterate students graduating from high school.
"We don't teach the peace. Unless we do teach the peace, somebody else will teach the violence," McCarthy began his talk.
After touching on non-violent solutions to war (which McCarthy refers to only as slaughter) and presenting the twenty students, alumni and members of the UD community with statistics including a list of countries that the U.S. has bombed since the end of World War II, he began talking about what young people can do to become more peaceful.
"Talk to your administrators, ask them why they are not teaching peace courses at this school. This is basic to your religion and should be taught at a Catholic school," McCarthy advised.
McCarthy also touched on fetal violence and animal violence, both of which he is utterly opposed to.
"People ask me what my stance is on fetal violence, and I always answer, as a former fetus I believe you cannot pick and choose the type of violence you back," McCarthy said. "As far as animal rights go, I believe that if something feels pain they should not be harmed. This is something we can do something about. Don't go home and eat that steak," he said.
McCarthy is not only a pacifist, but also an anarchist, something that he said began as far back as college.
"Once I realized I was a pacifist, I decided I might as well do both and save a lot of trouble. We only have laws because we cannot love," he said.
After answering questions, McCarthy offered students a chance to look at and buy his textbooks.
"Remember, your heart is on the left. Jesus was a liberal," McCarthy ended.
McCarthy bases his philosophy on the early Christian Pacifism taught in the bible. He explained that the reason Americans and Christians use violence as a solution so quickly and easily is because we have peace-illiterate students graduating from high school.
"We don't teach the peace. Unless we do teach the peace, somebody else will teach the violence," McCarthy began his talk.
After touching on non-violent solutions to war (which McCarthy refers to only as slaughter) and presenting the twenty students, alumni and members of the UD community with statistics including a list of countries that the U.S. has bombed since the end of World War II, he began talking about what young people can do to become more peaceful.
"Talk to your administrators, ask them why they are not teaching peace courses at this school. This is basic to your religion and should be taught at a Catholic school," McCarthy advised.
McCarthy also touched on fetal violence and animal violence, both of which he is utterly opposed to.
"People ask me what my stance is on fetal violence, and I always answer, as a former fetus I believe you cannot pick and choose the type of violence you back," McCarthy said. "As far as animal rights go, I believe that if something feels pain they should not be harmed. This is something we can do something about. Don't go home and eat that steak," he said.
McCarthy is not only a pacifist, but also an anarchist, something that he said began as far back as college.
"Once I realized I was a pacifist, I decided I might as well do both and save a lot of trouble. We only have laws because we cannot love," he said.
After answering questions, McCarthy offered students a chance to look at and buy his textbooks.
"Remember, your heart is on the left. Jesus was a liberal," McCarthy ended.