Response: Nuclear Weapons: Built on Fear, So Address the Fear
Eli McCarthy
November 28, 2016
On November 17, a panel at Georgetown University will discuss the results of a historic encounter between U.S. Catholic bishops and five Iranian religious leaders regarding, among other topics, nuclear weapons. Though the stockpile is decreasing, there are still an estimated 15,500 nuclear warheads among nine nations worldwide. With recent comments from the Holy See, many believe the Vatican is shifting its stance to press the moral case for a world free of nuclear weapons. Growing fears of a nuclear conflict mean that nuclear proliferation is of paramount importance in foreign policy debates and in religious communities.
What role does religion, and in particular the Catholic Church, have to play in the debates about nuclear disarmament? How has the Church shifted its position regarding nuclear weapons over time? Do religious leaders have a moral obligation to become involved in preventing nuclear proliferation? What benefits can be derived from religious cooperation in diffusing a potentially volatile international environment?
In the Series
Response: Church Sounds Warning on Nuclear Weapons (Once Again)
Stephen Colecchi
November 17, 2016
Response: Vatican Official Describes Disarmament Agenda, Appeals to Catholic Education
Drew Christiansen
November 17, 2016
Response: Clear Moral Guidance Toward Nuclear Abolition
Marie Dennis
November 16, 2016
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