3. Nonviolence:
The moral and spiritual basis
'Nonviolence' can be chosen 'because it works';
it can be the pragmatic adoption of particular tactics - tactics which
people feel are the most appropriate in particular circumstances, whether
that be Eastern Europe in 1989 or indeed Serbia in 2000, the Philippines in
1986 in overthrowing the Marcos regime, or Northern Ireland today. The
possibilities in a particular situation, including the fear of military
repression or unleashing counterviolence, can be factors in the pragmatic
adoption of 'non-violence' or 'nonviolence'. Usually there is some kind of
moral choice involved - even for those who in other circumstances would
choose violence if they felt it had a chance of succeeding.
But nonviolence is also a moral, philosophical and spiritual basis - or
part of such a basis. It may come from complete respect for human life. It
can come from religious faith - Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu
etc. (see below on 'The golden rule'). It can be an imperative part of such
a faith. Or it can be a development of such a belief in relation to the
times we live in.
The Golden Rule
Different religions all state one
fundamental principle - that we should treat others as would wish to be
treated - this is sometimes referred to as 'the golden rule'. Here are
statements from just some major religions:
- "The nature only is good when it shall not do unto another
whatever is not good for its own self". Zoroastrianism;
Dadistan-i-Dinik.
- "What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man. That is the
entire law, all the rest is commentary." Judaism; The Talmud.
- "No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother
that which he desires for himself." Islam; Hadith.
- "This is the sum of duty; do naught to others which if done to
thee would cause thee pain." Hinduism; The Mahabharata.
- "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye
even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets."
Christianity; The Gospel of Matthew.
- "Hurt not others with that which pains yourself." Buddhism;
Udana-Varqa.
Christian Nonviolence
Christian nonviolence comes mainly
from an understanding of the life and message of Jesus, and the experience
of the early church which was nonviolent for the first couple of centuries.
Gandhi said "The only people of earth who do not see Christ and his
teachings as nonviolent are Christians." The Christian concept of love
is surely incompatible with death and killing. Christian nonviolence is an
imperative grounded in faith and in the example of the early Christian
community. Today the journey of discovery continues as to what this means
for Christians.
Humanist, Secularist
Nonviolence
Many of those who take a humanist,
secularist approach also believe in nonviolence. Developing trust and
respect is seen as a key aspect of making the world a better place, free
from superstitions and ancient enmities which tie people to fear and
violence. Nonviolence can be as much a key part of humanist thinking as any
religious or spiritual approach. Sometimes, again, people seek to divide
people with labels when what is needed is all people of good will to
struggle together in making for a better future.
Breaking into Cycles of
Violence
It would be naive to imagine that
nonviolence has an answer for every problem. But it would be even more naive
to advocate violence in the same way. Nonviolence seeks to break into and
undermine the cycles of bitterness, hatred and violence which have so
characterised our world in the last century and show no sign of abating in
the post-Cold War world of the 21st century. New situations have spilt over
into violence, as in the former Yugoslavia and various countries in Africa;
other situations are in the difficult stage of transition from
institutionalised violence, as in South Africa after democracy where racial
and economic problems remain as a legacy from the past.
Building Our Own Base
It is up to us all to build our own
spiritual and moral base. For some this is part of a belief in a personal
God. For others it may be a belief in the power of good, of life, of truth
and particular political ideologies. We all need positive beliefs to sustain
and nurture us and to direct our actions; nonviolence can be such a code and
commitment itself or it can be part of a wide variety of religious,
philosophical, moral and spiritual belief systems. It can be part of yours!
At the start we used both 'non-violence' and 'nonviolence'. These
obviously sound the same when spoken. We use a hyphen when writing the word
to indicate that which is simply not violent, and 'nonviolence' without a
hyphen to indicate a positive, active commitment to work for peace and
justice without using violence. Our language can sometimes be inadequate to
the task of conveying what we mean. In Latin America, for example, because
'nonviolence' may not translate positively, another term used for the same
concept is 'relentless persistence'. It's up to us to develop the terms and
concepts which we feel happy with.
Helping Us
No one said being nonviolent is the
easiest thing in the world. But neither is it the hardest. How and what we
believe predetermines to a considerable extent what we do, how we react,
when confronted with difficulties. Belief and training in nonviolence as a
moral or spiritual basis to our lives can help us to deal with difficult
situations in a way which can help to harness the power of good which
exists, and create the best prospect for just and lasting solutions to the
many problems which we face locally, nationally and internationally.
Nonviolence is a powerful way of relating to the world. But it is also a
just and beautiful way - a way compatible with the best of the world's
religious and moral systems. We are all brothers and sisters; perhaps
nonviolence can help to deal with the family squabbles we get up to. But it
can help us to remember that no one is an enemy, no one is a thing, no one
is a nonentity. In the words of Tertullian, "If we are enjoined, then,
to love our enemies....whom have we to hate?"
Questions for personal reflection or group discussion:
- How does your faith, spiritual or moral position influence how you see
nonviolence?
- Do you feel violence can be justified in certain circumstances?
- What do you feel you know about the nonviolent tradition within your
faith or moral tradition?
- Why do you think people ignore the nonviolent implications within
their faith or moral traditions?
See also Workshop exercises on this website.
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