I happen to know some of the leading advocates of what might be called the permanent American Christian peace movement. Jimmy Carter is perhaps its most visible representative. These folks are almost always convinced that the use of military force is mistaken. They almost always believe in the good will of the adversary and of the possibility of making peace with anyone. These are the idealists among us.
Idealists are an important presence, and sometimes make great breakthroughs.
The peace crowd reminds us of the Christian moral vision of peace, and of Christ's command for us to be peacemakers, and sometimes helps us get there. There are places that a Jimmy Carter or a Jesse Jackson can go, and leaders they can talk with, that no one else can. But this group is not the crowd to which I would want to give control of American foreign policy. Our desire for peace must be linked to a healthy dose of realism about human sin and the occasional necessity to fight our way to a peace that is just and sustainable. The issue of moral idealism is also raised by the very fact of this, and other, humanitarian military interventions in recent years.