But much more is urgently needed now. We must commit ourselves to the goal of elimination of nuclear weapons themselves. We urge them to complete these negotiations by the year 2000 so that we can enter the new millennium with a treaty in place committing all nations to non-proliferation and a firm timetable for the permanent abolition of all nuclear weapons. We appeal to President Clinton to commit our government to this undertaking. Dr. Paul Westcoat, Conference Minister of the Penn West Conference United Bishop Donald Wuerl, Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh Since its initiation in 1995, many additional members of the clergy have signed this Statement of Support.
Today there is no logical reason for the retention and further development of cataclysmic firepower.
Nuclear deterrence prevents genuine disarmament. It maintains an unacceptable hegemony over non-nuclear nations. It fuels arms race build-ups around the world. It spans a militarism that is choking off development for the poorest half of the world's population. Since their exists in thermonuclear weapons a destructive power of vast proportions almost too frightful to contemplate, the Salvation Army recognizes that the world's problems cannot be solved by force, and that greed and pride, coupled with the widespread desire for domination, poison the souls of men and sow the seeds of conflict.