Nuclear weapons have a moral component- their incredible destructive power means they are designed for annihilation.
Annihilation, Armageddon, these are biblical images for the end of the world. Nuclear weapons, even in a limited exchange, have the power to end the world as we know it. It is for this reason that for generations global religious leaders and their constituencies, have supported a world free of nuclear weapons. The Washington Post blog “On Faith, a Conversation about Religion and Politics” recently ran a piece by the National Association of Evangelicals that reiterated the moral opposition to nuclear weapons.
The conversation has changed over the last several years- no longer is it a question of whether or not to abolish nuclear weapons, now the question is how, and how to ensure global security in a nuclear weapons free world. This type of conversation is one that should be had at all levels- from the pews to the parliaments to the presidents to create the nuclear weapons free world that we are all beginning to realize is not just possible, but necessary.