This pretty much sums up what I believe about war.
Quakers: 'No political, religious' purpose to take lives
"There is no such thing as a 'just war' in Quakers' 300-year religious experience," says Joe Volk, executive secretary of the Friends Committee on National Legislation.
Born during the gory English civil wars, Quakerism came to teach that "God would not call people of religious faith to kill others simply over ideas. We are called to answer to the aspect of God in everyone, not only friends or people we like," Volk says.
"There may be some things for which we would rightly give our lives, such as defending another human being, standing in the way of an attack, giving our lives for the purpose of medical research.
"But there is no political, economic, social, cultural or religious purpose that would justify taking of another human being's life. The military believes they can create peace and security through warlike means, and they are serving the public and willing to give their lives to do that," he says.
He notes Quakers' history of service in non-combatant roles as conscientious objectors.
"We advocate standing up and resisting people who use violence. We aren't saying, 'Lay down and let anything happen.' Gandhi and Martin Luther King helped open the world's eyes to this."
Quakers will tell America's leadership to "use the world's love for the United States to track these people down and bring them to justice."
"If we go to war, we say the world is ruled by brute force. Quakers believe there is an immutable relationship between the end and the means used to reach it. As ye sow, so shall ye reap."