Forming a Christian Perspective on Foreign Policy

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Forming a Christian Perspective on Foreign Policy

• Kyle C. Beardsley
• UCSD GCF

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Observation1 We Should Seek Peace

• Proverbs 2521-22

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Proverbs 2521-22

• If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat if
  he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing
  this, you will heap burning coals on his head,
  and the Lord will reward you.

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Observation1 We Should Seek Peace

• Proverbs 2521-22
• Romans 1217-21

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Romans 1217-21

• Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to
  do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it
  is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at
  peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my
  friends, but leave room for Gods wrath, for it
  is written It is mine to avenge I will repay,
  says the Lord. On the contrary If your enemy is
  hungry, feed him if he is thirsty, give him
  something to drink. In doing this, you will heap
  burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by
  evil, but overcome evil with good.

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Observation1 We Should Seek Peace

• Proverbs 2521-22
• Romans 1217-21
• Similar to Psalm 73
• Luke 627-36

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Luke 627-36

• But I tell you who hear me Love your enemies, do
  good to those who hate you, bless those who curse
  you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone
  strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other
  also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop
  him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who
  asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to
  you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you
  would have them do to you.  If you love those who
  love you, what credit is that to you? Even
  'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do
  good to those who are good to you, what credit is
  that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you
  lend to those from whom you expect repayment,
  what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend
  to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But
  love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to
  them without expecting to get anything back. Then
  your reward will be great, and you will be sons
  of the Most High, because he is kind to the
  ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your
  Father is merciful.

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Observation1 We Should Seek Peace

• Proverbs 2521-22
• Romans 1217-21
• Similar to Psalm 73
• Luke 627-36
• Matthew 59

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Matthew 59

• Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be
  called sons of God

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Observation1 We Should Seek Peace

• Proverbs 2521-22
• Romans 1217-21
• Similar to Psalm 73
• Luke 627-36
• Matthew 59
• Isaiah 24

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Isaiah 24

• He will judge between the nations and will settle
  disputes for many peoples. They will beat their
  swords into plowshares and their spears into
  pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword
  against nation, nor will they train for war
  anymore.

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Observation 2 Peace is Often not Possible

• Romans 1218 had some qualifiers
• Pursuing justice often requires conflict
• Psalm 823-4
• Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless
  maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
  Rescue the weak and needy deliver them from the
  hand of the wicked.
• Ephesians 6
• Conflict is often a natural outcome of bargaining

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Observation 3 Whats Good for Country Isnt
Necessarily Good for God

• Justifying worldly actions in the name of God has
  led to past atrocities
• The liberal institutions that we value stem from
  the Enlightenment and humanism
• Our politicians should not be placing the country
  first, and security is not the ultimate value

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Observation 4 Ideal Social Order Combines
Justice, Mercy Humility

• Micah 68
• He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what
  does the Lord require of you? To act justly and
  to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
• Zechariah 79
• This is what the Lord Almighty says Administer
  true justice show mercy and compassion to one
  another.

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Question

• Can we simultaneously maximize justice, mercy,
  humility, peace and security?

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Proposition Multilateralism Gets Us Close

• It promotes justice by providing
  dispute-resolution outlets and mechanisms to
  decide what is just.
• Matthew 1815-17

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Matthew 1815-17

• If your brother sins against you, go and show him
  his fault, just between the two of you. If he
  listens to you, you have won your brother over.
  But if he will not listen, take one or two others
  along, so that 'every matter may be established
  by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If
  he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the
  church and if he refuses to listen even to the
  church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax
  collector.

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Proposition Multilateralism Gets Us Close

• It promotes justice by providing
  dispute-resolution outlets and mechanisms to
  decide what is just.
• Matthew 1816-17
• It promotes mercy by restricting vengeance
• It promotes humility by reducing the importance
  of individual states
• It promotes peace by increasing information
  exchange and commitment mechanisms
• Robert Keohane
• It promotes security by locking-in order and
  deterrence
• David Lake and John Ikenberry
• Michael Intrilligator
• Woodrow Wilson

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My Point

• By binding ourselves to act less selfishly, we
  can become greater
• When we are weak, then we are strong (2
  Corinthians 1210)

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Applications

• End American exceptionalism and strengthen
  multilateral institutions

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Applications

• End American exceptionalism and strengthen
  multilateral institutions
• Promote justice not when it is simply in our
  interests

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Applications

• End American exceptionalism and strengthen
  multilateral institutions
• Promote justice not when it is simply in our
  interests
• Listen to Bono
• Reform the UN