My letter to the editor as the US prepared to attack and then invade Afghanistan following the 9-11 attacks. 

Deseret News  Sep 19, 2001

   How can we, a Christian community in a supposedly Christian country, seriously think that retaliation against anyone is the correct response to the barbaric attacks of a small group of fanatic terrorists? Does the barbarism of these few justify the systematic barbarism of a whole bloodthirsty country?

    How can we possibly consider mobilizing hundreds of thousands of troops to attack the innocent relatives of these fanatics, or more likely, complete strangers with no connection to the terrorists?

    How can we, as a society committed to freedom and due process of law, even consider that it is proper for us to summarily execute individuals who have been neither charged nor convicted of anything? Does the evil that they have done justify evil in return?

    If we terrorize them, are we not terrorists ourselves? Have we learned nothing from the New Testament? Have none of us ever read the Sermon on the Mount? Is this how Jesus responded to those who terrorized him? Is this how he would want us to respond?

    It is long past time for us to internalize what our religions really teach and reject the cultural barbarism that says it is OK to retaliate against someone who wrongs you. The way to protect ourselves is to defend ourselves within our own borders; retaliation is not defense, it is cold-blooded, state-sponsored terrorism.

Scott C. Pugsley