Schuett: Thoughts on war

By ELIZABETH SCHUETT

Gerald Staack, born in Chicago in 1931 and now living in Santa Clarita, Calif., is a retired electrical engineer who has worked on the Apollo Program at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala, and for Marquardt Corp. as Instrumentation Engineer for testing of thrust rocket reactor engines destined for NASA to steer the Lunar Landers as they touched down on the moon.

Helga, his wife of 50 years, is a survivor of Nazi Germany and Communist East Germany. Gerald and Helga have two children and three grandchildren.

On a recent trip to Berlin, Gerald picked up a pamphlet at Checkpoint Charlie sponsored by the (Swiss) Global Ethics Foundation's Literature for World Peace. The pamphlet recommended the book, "Tracing the Way" by Hans Kueng (to whom Gerald refers as one of the "most brilliant and accessible theologians of our time.")

Gerald read the book and put his thoughts on paper:

RELIGIOUS WARS

Written for My Children on Earth

Throughout history men have warred

Taken to the sword ... "for God"

"To kill is justified, they're not like us"

Your Wisemen ... seem to nod.

In war I hear those desperate prayers

From soldier's trembling breaths

Begging Me to save them from

Unfounded certain deaths

My children do not be so blind

Not just your own beliefs are right

My paths to Heaven ... they are many

Yet still I see you'd rather fight.

Christian, Jewish, Islam faiths

Hindu, Confucian, Buddha

ALL EXPRESS THEIR LOVE FOR ME

But nary for each other...

You humble, pious and devout

Do hardly know those "others"

Living three score years and ten

And barely know your brothers

I'll grant no peace among the nations

Without peace 'tween every faith

There'll be no peace among religions

Until you communicate

I see no dialogue between the faiths

For a STANDARD GLOBAL ETHIC

There's no survival for your globe

Without one ... it's pathetic

Search for truths THAT YOU AGREE ON

You'll find you're very much alike

Subdue the hatred from the pulpit

That does encourage men to fight.

Teach your young minds moral ethics

On which all religions do agree

And pray to Me how you've been taught

For ALL THE FAITHS ARE DEAR TO ME

An Ethics Class for world's children

Now that would start the way

For religious tolerance to be taught

And those fanatics kept at bay

Respect and Love for one another

Deal honestly and fairly

Respect the life I've given you

Treat everyone humanely

Teach the creed in all your Temples

In Churches, Mosques, and Schools

For sake of world harmony

You first must unify My rules

Do not pout and feel offended

How others love and pray to Me

You are all My children, and

I wait ... in love ... for all of thee

I need souls to match My mountains

I need souls to match My plains

Souls with Mankind in their purpose

And new eras in their brains ... yes

By now you know just who you are

You Leaders ... that will start anew!

To build a peace for multitudes

To serve Me now ... is up to you!

— God

p.s.: Don't make me come down there!

Composed by Gerald Staack, Dec 2006

Elizabeth Schuett writes for Cox News Service. Mail: 320 West Madison, Gibsonburg, OH 43431 or e-mail: eschuett(AT)woh.rr.com