Many Christians with deeply held opinions on an increasingly unpopular war find themselves worshipping with fellow believers on the opposite side of the political divide.
Feelings particularly run high in communities near military installations. And some leaders of churches in those areas have adopted an unofficial policy for keeping the peace in their congregations—pray for the troops, and “don't ask, don't tell” opinions about the war in Iraq.
“We just don't talk about it,” said David Morgan, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Harker Heights, Texas, near Fort Hood.
Trinity Baptist regularly prays for the troops and seeks to minister to military personnel and their families. As the conflict in Iraq has continued, Morgan said, he has begun to hear some spouses of soldiers raising questions about the war. But generally, active-duty military personnel and their families are reluctant to voice opinions about policy, he noted.
“If you're a soldier, it is understood that you do not question the commander-in-chief—even at church,” he said.
Similarly, attention at Central Baptist Church in Richmond has focused on concern for troops and their families rather than on political discussions regarding the war.
“It hasn't caused a conflict here. We've got a strong military crowd—lots of veterans in the congregation,” Pastor David Turner said. “There's a recognition among them that things [with the war] aren't always going the way they want to. Their support is often for the troops and not for the way the war is conducted.”
Turner insisted his congregation has plenty of other pressing issues to handle, and it has chosen not to “get sidetracked” by debates over the war in Iraq.
“Unless you have a good reason to make this an issue, I can't imagine doing it. There are always so many potential conflicts in churches, most people don't need another one.”
In El Paso, Texas—home to Fort Bliss—members of First Baptist Church have steered clear of divisive political discussions. Instead, the church has focused on supporting the troops and praying both for them and for the elected officials who make decisions about their future, said Pastor Richard Rush.
“We believe we have a responsibility to pray for those who are in authority over us and to seek God's guidance on their behalf,” Rush said.
Prayer also has been the focus at Woodland Baptist Church in San Antonio—home city to Fort Sam Houston, Randolph Air Force Base and Lackland Air Force Base, among other installations.
“I'm sure we have a wide variety of opinions in our congregation about the war, but it's just not something we've made a point of conflict or controversy,” said Pastor Judson Edwards.
Instead of debating the merits of the war or the way it is being carried out, Woodland has directed its attention to praying for the troops, for their families and for injured military personnel at Brooke Army Medical Center, Edwards said.
“Rather than becoming a divisive issue, it's been more of a rallying point—a unifying thing for our church—as we've focused on prayer. We've been united in our concern for the troops and in our prayers for getting them home safely,” he said.
Another San Antonio congregation—Covenant Baptist Church—likewise has concentrated on praying “for everyone whose lives are being disrupted by the war—our soldiers, along with the Iraqi people and the people of Afghanistan,” said Pastor Gordon Atkinson.
But unlike many other congregations, Atkinson reports a general consensus of opinion in his church about the conflict in Iraq—and a willingness to discuss it.
“Most of our folks think this war is terribly wrong,” he said.
“We talk about it a lot informally. …There's quite a bit of grousing about it around the tables.”
With additional reporting by Robert Dilday of the Religious Herald.