---

NONVIOLENCE

Author to discuss JFK as peacemaker

A change in President John F. Kennedy's belief system during the 1960s will be the subject of a talk June 19 at The College of Saint Rose in Albany by Catholic author, theologian and anti-nuclear activist James Douglass. 

The event is co-sponsored by the justice committee of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet's Albany province, as part of their ongoing campaign of peacemaking and nonviolence. 

Mr. Douglass will discuss his book, "JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters," which outlines the events leading up to the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963. The book focuses on a spiritual "turning" in Kennedy's beliefs at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. 

Despite his own administration's emphasis on nuclear armament and preparation for war, President Kennedy corresponded with Soviet President Nikita Khrushchev, cooperating with his greatest enemy to establish peace between the superpowers.

According to Mr. Douglass, Kennedy's moral turning toward peace and cooperation directly prevented the outbreak of nuclear war. The book also claims that this turning away from arms accumulation spurred Kennedy's assassination.

Hope for peace
Despite its discussion of the death of the former president, Mr. Douglass emphasized that his book is "not a story of death, but a story of life." He believes the message of JFK's moral turning toward peace holds continuing relevance in today's militaristic world.

The author added that the story holds special significance for "those who believe in a God of peace and justice." Echoing the teachings of American Trappist monk and writer Thomas Merton, Mr. Douglass believes peacemaking efforts must be approached with the "understanding through prayer that the problem begins with the part of the world that I am standing on." 

Instead of laying blame, he encourages contemplative insight and meditation.

The Sisters of St. Joseph are co-sponsoring Mr. Douglass' visit to Albany as part of their order's commitment to unity and reconciliation.

"We certainly felt that [Mr. Douglass'] idea of contemplation and spiritual evaluation leading to social action fit with our focus on peacemaking and nonviolence," explained Sister Marianne Comfort, CSJ. "The [Albany] province supports Douglass' teachings of reflection and prayer leading to peacemaking."

In addition to writing, Mr. Douglass and his wife, Shelley, operate Mary's House, a Catholic Worker home in Birmingham, Alabama. They adhere to a consistent life ethic, fighting against war, abortion, the death penalty, euthanasia, poverty and racism. 

Modern Samaritans
A leader in anti-nuclear and nonviolence activism for decades, Mr. Douglass' greatest influences are Thomas Merton and Dorothy Day, foundress of the Catholic Worker movement. Mr. Douglass worked alongside Dorothy Day at the Second Vatican Council in Rome in the 1960s, serving as a theological adviser on questions of nonviolence and conscientious objection. 

Douglass classifies all his books as "theologies of peace." The author urged the U.S. to emulate Kennedy's willingness to reach out to his enemies. 

Comparing Kennedy and Khrushchev's cooperation to the actions of the biblical "Good Samaritan," he warned: "Unless we, in a world of nuclear armed states, are willing to work with our enemies toward a peaceful state, we are lost." 

Acknowledging that Kennedy was not a saint, Douglass explained that "as a sinner, representing all of us sinners in a nuclear nation, he turned. And also, his enemy, [whom] we had demonized, turned with him. If he changed so profoundly, then we can all do it."


Sisters' efforts boosted

In April, the Sisters of St. Joseph's Albany province released a public statement urging the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. The treaty, which would ban all nuclear explosions in all environments, cannot go into effect without the ratifications of nine remaining nations, including the U.S.
The sisters' justice committee hopes Mr. Douglass' talk will advance nonviolence efforts. They agree with the author's belief that "we need to be awakened to the power of God to turn us toward peace." (KRQ)

(06/18/09) [[In-content Ad]]

---