Faith Declaration of Korean Christians for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Power

 Faith Declaration of Korean Christians.pdf

Faith Declaration of Korean Christians

for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Power

 

 

It has been the tradition of the Korean church to express our commitment of faith to accompany action whenever our nation has confronted a crisis. In 1919 the Korean church participated in the March First Independence Movement and looked forward in hope to a new order of life for the Korean nation in a new heaven and new earth liberated from Japanese imperialism; during the 1970s the Korean churches stood in solidarity with the oppressed Minjung in resistance against military dictatorship; and during the 1980s, the Korean churches confessed that the reunification of the Korean peninsula and establishment of peace in Northeast Asia was a matter of faith and committed themselves to this cause. Standing on this proud historical legacy we are compelled once again to read the signs of the times. As we commemorate the 93rd anniversary of the March First Independence Movement we believe that it is our calling as Christians in this day and age to liberate the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia, as well as the whole inhabited earth, from nuclear weapons and nuclear power. Therefore, we set forth our position through the following declaration of faith.

March 11, 2012 marks the first anniversary of the Japanese Fukushima nuclear reactor disaster. A Nuclear Security Summit is scheduled to be hosted by the Korean government in Seoul from 26 to 27 March. At this critical moment in history Korean Christians proclaim that nuclear weapons and nuclear power are not compatible with the Christian faith. The nuclear industry is a conglomeration of the technocracy, which sees scientific advancement as a way of subduing Nature; the military industrial complex, which promotes weapons of mass destruction; and the globalized capitalist economic system, which seeks to secure geopolitical hegemony and maximization of profit through limitless growth. As such, the nuclear industry embodies a power structure that threatens the integrity of life on earth. Nuclear weapons and power epitomize the “power of death” (Psalm 49:15), which can destroy all life on earth, the world that God created (Genesis 1:1) and so loved (John 3:16). They embody the lust for power by the “evil rulers and authorities” (Colossians 2:15, Ephesians 6:12) that seek to dominate the world and replace God. They are the modern-day sinful fruit, denying the authority and power of the “only almighty God” over the universe (Isaiah 9:6, Job 25:2, 1 Timothy 6:15) in the name of science and technology.

 

The perspective of victims of radiation poisoning

 

Korean Christians seek to elaborate our position regarding nuclear weapons and power from the perspective of the victims of radiation poisoning. When the atomic bomb was dropped on the two Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 one tenth of the total victims were Korean. These were two-fold victims, having been forcibly conscripted to work in Japan by the Japanese colonial structures. In the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, however, there is not a single line mentioning the victimization of the Korean people. These victims and their descendents continue to suffer, forgotten and overlooked by the world even today. Koreans have also been the victims of the radiation poisoning that has emanated from the numerous nuclear reactors that have been built on our land over the past thirty years. This, then, is the context and reality in which Korean Christians stand to profess our confession of faith regarding nuclear weapons and power. We desire to view this issue not from the perspective of nuclear power, but from the standpoint of the victims of radiation poisoning. We seek to approach this issue not from the perspective of science and technology, but from the perspective of life. We are striving to understand how this issue affects not just the present generation but the many generations yet to come. Furthermore, we want to address this issue not from an anthropocentric perspective but from the perspective of the cosmic life community that encompasses all of creation.

 

Nuclear weapons and power cannot coexist with peace.

 

We cannot agree to the attempt to distinguish nuclear weapons, as belonging to the category of military use, from nuclear power plants, as being for peaceful civilian use. Such a distinction is false because nuclear energy was first developed with the express intention and expectation of being adapted and utilized for military purposes, i.e. the manufacture of atomic weapons. Though many believe that the nuclear reactor’s primary function is to generate electricity, this is a misconception. The nuclear reactor was designed with the express purpose of facilitating the physical transformation of Uranium 238, which comprises most of the natural uranium found in Nature, into Plutonium 239, which can be directly shaped into nuclear weapons. The sudden and immediate release of the energy contained in the nucleus of the atom is the principle used in nuclear weapons. Releasing this energy gradually and converting this to electric energy is the principle used for nuclear power. From its inception and development both nuclear weapons and nuclear power share the same root foundation. Far too many countries have developed nuclear weapons under the cloak of peaceful civilian nuclear energy programs. History clearly reveals that the aspiration for nuclear power reflects the passionate desire for nuclear weapons. Therefore, we cannot agree to the oft-quoted phrase “Atom for Peace”. Nuclear weapons and nuclear power are two sides of the same coin. They cannot coexist with peace. Furthermore, the proliferation of nuclear energy is a direct threat to peace. That is because we live in a world where there is increasing danger of military or terrorist threats to nuclear power facilities. Nuclear power facilities are the primary points of attack in today’s asymmetric conflicts. In addition, nuclear power and weapons threaten the peace in regions holding vast deposits of the raw natural resources. The shortage of uranium in many African countries has been the pretext for conflict during the past decades. To make matters worse, uranium has long been an object of speculation to the extent that struggles to monopolize and capitalize on this limited resource can easily threaten peace around the world, similar to the world being held hostage in the wars over control of oil. Therefore, nuclear power and weapons can never coexist with peace. Therefore, we demand the complete dismantling of all nuclear weapons as well as the complete closure of all nuclear power facilities. Regardless of whether the purpose is to provide security through a “nuclear umbrella,” or to achieve pre-emptive “nuclear first strike” capacity, no attempt to attain security through nuclear weapons can result in true security for the people. All the governments of this world must stop construction of new nuclear power facilities and close down those facilities that have exceeded their life span. The world as a whole must neither expand the structures of nuclear power nor attempt to rely on it as an energy source.

 

Nuclear energy cannot help to overcome global warming.

 

With the explosion in 1979 at the nuclear reactor on Three Mile Island in the United States and the nuclear disaster resulting from the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in 1986 it seemed that the global nuclear industry was on the verge of rapid decline. The industry has managed to resurrect itself, however, by using global warming as its primary argument. On the contrary, we declare that nuclear energy cannot be a viable alternative option in addressing the issue of global warming. Though some would have us believe nuclear power is a “low carbon clean source of energy” that does not produce greenhouse gases, and though it may appear as if the energy-generating aspect of nuclear power reduces CO2 emissions, it is impossible to hide the fact that a vast amount of greenhouse gases are emitted during the mining, manufacturing, shipping and enrichment process for the uranium used in the nuclear reactors. Even in the energy production process nuclear power is an ineffective and grossly wasteful source for generating electricity. Physically, only one third of the entire energy resulting from atomic fission is harvested for generating electricity while the remaining two thirds is dumped into the ocean through heated waste water, causing extensive damage to the surrounding eco-systems. Furthermore, nuclear power is extremely limited in adaptation and leads to wasteful consumption of energy. Once the nuclear reactor becomes operational it is impossible to control the output in response to electricity consumption needs. Nuclear reactors must produce energy at peak levels of consumption all year round, regardless of the seasons and the different energy consumption patterns of day and night. This results in the continually problematic situation of “excess electricity” that must be consumed, and so the Korean government has always sought to encourage “night-time electricity use” to consume the excess. The result, however, has been the increase of overall energy and electricity consumed by Korean society, thereby contributing, ironically, to global warming. At present, the electrical energy that is produced by all the nuclear reactors in the world accounts for a mere 2% of the total global energy consumption. In contrast, renewable natural energy sources provide for approximately 13% of the total global consumption in the world today. Consequently, in spite of the elaborate advertisements, nuclear power is simply a niche technology that cannot be an alternative energy source to stop global warming. There are many research results and examples showing clearly how renewable natural energy can provide 100% of human energy needs. It is now technologically possible for us to open the era of renewable natural energy and break away from our reliance on fossil fuels and nuclear energy. We firmly believe that sunlight, wind, thermal heat, waves and other forms of natural energy that God has provided without cost are the best and only solution available to us. Nuclear power merely serves to impede the transition toward renewable natural energy, induce wasteful energy consumption and limit investment in sustainable energy systems. Nuclear energy and renewable natural energy cannot coexist. Nor can nuclear energy be used as a stepping stone toward renewable natural energy. Just as nuclear weapons are the wrong answer in the pursuit of world peace, so too is nuclear power the wrong answer in seeking to respond to global warming.

 

Contamination of the earth and destruction of life by nuclear waste is blasphemy and rebellion against the order of God’s creation.

 

Humans began constructing nuclear power facilities without any consideration of how to handle the nuclear waste produced. Not even 1 gram of nuclear waste can be treated safely. The so-called reprocessing of used fuel rods only creates more nuclear waste. Human technology has not yet discovered the skills to store nuclear waste. Although nuclear waste will continue to contaminate its surroundings with radiation for a million years, the drums that are currently being used to store it have a life span of only forty years. We have yet to discover a safe place on earth to store the high-level radioactive waste that comes from nuclear power facilities. The cisterns in Korea’s nuclear power facilities currently hold approximately 11,370 tons of uranium in “temporary” storage. It is reported that they will reach their maximum capacity for storage in 2016. Nevertheless, Korea has yet to begin a process of consultation and deliberation on how or where these used fuel rods will be stored. Korean society has already experienced deep division due to arguments over where to construct a facility to house nuclear waste materials. In the end, our generation will leave to future generations a mountain of radioactive waste. This irresponsible behavior, threatening the life and safety of not just our own but future generations is unethical and unjust. Contaminating and polluting God’s created world is a sin of blasphemy against the Creator. All living creatures have the God-given right and blessing to enjoy life in all its fullness today and tomorrow. Denying this right and blessing is the greatest act of blasphemy committed against God, who created this world and all life in love.

 

We must liberate ourselves from the nuclear culture that is based on greed and consumerism.

 

For many years we have enjoyed the luxury of consuming energy produced by nuclear energy. In Korea the energy consumption in 2005 was 7,403kWh, a threefold rise from 2,312kWh in 1991, when Korea had only nine nuclear reactors. This consumption rate is higher than that of Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom or Italy. In 2010 our electrical consumption jumped to four times the average, reaching 9,293kWh. In this historical process the Korean government and peoples were not only nuclear producers and consumers but became nuclear perpetrators. However, the good old days have gone. We must now come to grips with the reality of closing nuclear power facilities and the manifold issues and obstacles associated with this. Until now we have enjoyed the sweetness of plentiful energy through nuclear power. From now on we must learn the bitterness of closing nuclear reactors and dealing with the radioactive waste material. The world now faces the common challenge of having to close nuclear reactors built from the 1950s onwards. They have already entered the critical phase as they reach their intended life span. Korea constructed its first nuclear reactor in the Gijang area of Busan, the Gori Nuclear Reactor, in 1978 and has continued to build one new reactor every 18 months, bringing the total number to 21. Korea must now begin the arduous task of shutting down and dismantling one nuclear reactor every 18 months, and pay the associated costs. It is estimated that it will cost approximately 600 billion Korean Won (more than 500 million US Dollars) to dismantle one nuclear reactor. In the face of this stark reality we must seriously consider the basis of the false plentitude that we have enjoyed over the years. The excessive production of energy for industrialization is fundamentally due to the desire for unlimited economic growth and maximization of profit to satiate human greed. This structure has led to energy overconsumption and crass consumerism. It is time for the world to liberate itself from this nuclear-based civilization with its endless greed for energy and consumerism. The Fukushima nuclear catastrophe that occurred in March 2011 is a clarion call alerting humanity to the urgency for transformation away from this nuclear-based civilization that we have created for ourselves. This path of social and ecological destruction in pursuit of a consumerist life style is the “highway to hell.” In contrast, the efforts to pursue and encourage renewable natural energy and promote moderation and patient perseverance is “the narrow gate” that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14). We must choose to enter this narrow gate.

 

The Korean government must give up its pseudo green policy centered on nuclear energy.

 

The so-called “green growth” that is being proposed by the Korean government is, unfortunately, based on nuclear power. The government is pursuing a policy of constructing additional nuclear reactors with an anticipated investment of 40 trillion Korean won up to 2030 as a way to prepare for increased energy consumption. In total disregard of the lessons of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, the current government has designated nuclear reactors as a strategic export industry, proposing the export of at least 80 new reactors over the next 20 years, and thereby becoming the third largest exporter of nuclear reactors after the United States and France. In addition, the government is working to obtain the right to process nuclear materials, like Japan, considering that the ROK-US Nuclear Energy Treaty will undergo revision when it expires in 2014. Within this context the Korean government will host a Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul on 26 and 27 March, 2012. We declare, however, that nuclear energy is not green energy, nor is nuclear security the way to a secure life. Nuclear weapons do not bring security to a country or to the world; rather they are the greatest threat. True security is not just about the safety of the nuclear-armed countries but concerns the entire earth’s life community. This, in the fullest sense, is not the peace of this world but the peace that is given to us by Christ (John 14:27). True security does not come from nuclear power but from the power of almighty God who created this world. As the Psalmist declares, “I look up to the mountains – does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth!” (Psalm 121:1-2). Nuclear power is not safe. A nuclear catastrophe can occur on any day at any time, and is in fact occurring every day. Nuclear power requires an infallible humanity, and yet no such person exists on earth. Nuclear energy is not safe energy. Nuclear power is the path to self-destruction that threatens the life security of all societies and countries—the whole of creation Therefore, we demand that the Korean government give up its current pseudo green policy centered on nuclear power and adopt a true green policy based on renewable natural energy.

 

Solidarity for life is urgently needed in North East Asia, the single region in the world where nuclear facilities are most concentrated.

 

According to the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) there are currently 441 active nuclear reactors in the world today with 557 being built or planned for construction. Korea first constructed the Gori Nuclear Reactor at Gijang, Busan in 1978 and has thus far constructed 21 nuclear reactors. In terms of active nuclear reactors Korea is fifth in the world (the United States is first with 104 reactors, France has 58, Japan 54 and Russia 31). However, in terms of concentration Korea ranks first among the countries. Presently, Japan has 54 nuclear reactors and China has 14. In spite of the recent Fukushima nuclear disaster China is planning to construct a further 27 nuclear reactors along its eastern coastline. In short, the Korean peninsula and North East Asia have become the most dangerous nuclear minefield in the world. If there is the potential for a major nuclear catastrophe occurring in the near future the most likely place for such an event will be in North East Asia. China and North Korea already possess nuclear weapons, and while Japan does not have a nuclear arsenal it is the only country in the world with a nuclear reprocessing facility. As of the year 2000, Japan already had nearly 30 tons of excess plutonium, enough to produce 1,000 atomic weapons. As we stand in the midst of North East Asia’s nuclear reality we urgently proclaim the need not for the security of the status quo of nuclear-armed states but for the securing of life for all humanity and creation. Therefore, it is a critical task to forge a network of solidarity for life in North East Asia for the sake of world peace.

 

Nuclear weapons and power cannot coexist with the Christian faith.

 

Nuclear weapons and nuclear power are symbols of power and violence. They are the starting point and ultimate goal of countries aspiring to become superpowers. It is like the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, enticingly to the taste and beautiful to behold. It is the forbidden temptation of absolute power. As a consequence of this temptation, humankind has created structures of domination and greed that have led to crises of war, radiation and pollution that can exterminate the whole life community on earth. Such structures cannot coexist with the Christian faith. When the world’s first nuclear reactor, named CP-1, was built on the premises of Chicago University in the U.S., scientists believed that humanity had now entered into the realm of the Creator. But we remember that the Lord, through the mouth of the prophet Ezekiel, announced, “In your great pride you claim, ‘I am a god! I sit on a divine throne in the heart of the sea.’ But you are only a man and not a god, though you boast that you are like a god” (Ezekiel 28:2). As Augustine stated, sin is a form of arrogance that refuses to acknowledge that humankind is not a god. As one theologian expressed, “Humanity has usurped God’s glory and has sought to make itself into a god. In the midst of such confusion the sinner makes himself into a pseudo god.” Thus, we proclaim that nuclear power and weapons cannot coexist with the Christian faith. As Christians we cannot support the development of nuclear weapons, nor can we endorse nuclear power. This is because profession of the Christian faith and affirmation of such evil are mutually contradictory. Nuclear power and weapons epitomize the “power of death” (Psalm 49:15) that can destroy all life on earth, the world that God created (Genesis 1:1) and so loved (John 3:16). They embody the lust for power by the “evil rulers and authorities” (Colossians 2:15, Ephesians 6:12) that seek to dominate the world and replace God. They are the modern-day fruit of sin, denying the authority and power of the “only almighty God” over the universe (Isaiah 9:6, Job 25:2, 1 Timothy 6:15) in the name of science and technology. Nuclear weapons recall the image of the “Leviathan” in Job 41:1-34. The numerous nuclear reactors that are placed around the world like ticking time bombs appear as “the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing where it should not be” (Mark 13:14). As the declaration from the 6th Assembly of the WCC states, the production, possession and use of nuclear weapons are a son against God. Nuclear weapons and nuclear power are a denial of the path and truth of Jesus Christ, who revealed the ways of service, sharing and love in the face of the authoritarian rulers and powers of this world. They are the symptom of necrophilia, hurtling toward death and refusing the spirit of life that leads to the fruits of justice and peace.

 

Christian resolutions for action

 

We are facing a multifold crisis of life because of the threats of nuclear weapons and nuclear power. We stand at a crossroads, a point in time when we must either choose a society of excessive energy consumption centered on nuclear energy or a sustainable society centered on renewable natural energy. When the people of Israel were preparing to cross the Jordan River after forty years in the wilderness, God presented them with “the choice between life and earth, between blessings and curses,” and exhorted them to “choose life, that you and your descendants might live!”(Deuteronomy 30:19). The crucified Christ who shares in the suffering and death of the victims of radiation poisoning became for us the true life and the path of peace. The Spirit of God groans with all of creation (Romans 8:22) and strives to preserve and protect the integrity of all life. On the basis of our faith in this triune God, we resolve to consecrate ourselves to act as follows:

 

1. We recognize that the spiritual awakening which liberates us from our greed and obsession for nuclear weapons and power, as well as the temptation and illusion they present, is a spiritual task for our generation. Toward this end we will work to reveal the realities surrounding nuclear weapons and power, stand in solidarity with the suffering and pain of the victims of radiation poisoning, and comfort and heal their pains.

 

2. We will work for disclosure of information and transparency related to nuclear weapons and nuclear power, in a context where information and decision making have been dominated by a small minority. We will make every effort to ensure that critically important issues defining our survival and future are decided in a communal, democratic manner.

 

3. We will work to encourage the Korean government to give up its mistaken green policy centered on nuclear power, and to cancel its efforts to export nuclear reactor components. We strongly oppose the use of public funds drawn from taxes to support the work of the nuclear energy industry. At the same time, we oppose the allocation of 3.7% of public electricity bills to sustain the Korean Atomic Culture Foundation, which functions as a spokesperson for nuclear power.

 

4. We will embark on a sustained campaign to encourage the political parties to develop and implement a non-nuclear policy. We will also campaign for ethical and socially responsible investment, through which Korean businesses that are investing in nuclear energy and its related industries withdraw their funds from these ventures and instead invest in renewable natural energy industries.

 

5. We call upon the Nuclear Security Summit, which will gather the leaders of nuclear states, to adopt as its central agenda the complete dismantling of the nuclear arsenal held by each country and the complete cessation of nuclear energy use.

 

6. We will lead a “Nuclear Free Energy Campaign” so that Korean civil society can liberate itself from nuclear power and create a mutually sustainable life civilization based on renewable natural energy.

 

7. Recognizing that the Korean peninsula and North East Asia are the most dangerously concentrated nuclear zone, we will strive to establish a North East Asia Christian Network for Life Solidarity and work toward a nuclear-free world.

 

8. We will embark on an effort to create a new life culture that synthesizes the manifold wisdoms of life found in all religions, cultures and ideologies. We will especially work to forge connections of life solidarity with neighboring faiths for a nuclear-free world.

 

9. We recognize that just as religion without science can lead to superstition, science without religion can easily become a weapon of death. We strongly criticize the ethics of science based on utilitarianism and the triumphalism of the age of technology. We propose a dialogue between science and religion on the issue of nuclear power and weapons.

 

10. As we look toward the 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches, to be held in Busan in 2013, we remind all Christians around the world that this Assembly is being held in one of the most dangerous areas of the world, in terms of nuclear concentration. Therefore, we call upon the WCC to take up the issue of nuclear weapons and nuclear energy as a central topic of concern during its 10th Assembly in Busan, and we recommend that the WCC seek specific and symbolic actions, such as an ‘electricity-free worship service’ during the Assembly that will help to minimize the dependency on energy that is generated from the nearby Gori Nuclear Reactor situated in the Gijang area of Busan.

 

 

1 March 2012

 

National Council of Churches in Korea (Committee for Ethics of Life)

National Council of YMCAs of Korea

Korea Church Women United

Ecumenical Youth Council in Korea,

Bible Korea

National Association of Pastors for Justice and Peace

Korean Church institute for Ecology

Christian Solidarity Network for Anti-Nuclear Movement

(Korea Christian Environmental Movement Solidarity / Methodist Peace Action

Madang for Life and Peace / Living Jesus / Non-violent Peace Wave/ Ahimna

PROK Solidarity for Life Mission / PROK Center for Ecological Movement

Medidal Forum for Life and Peace / Peace World / Hyangrin Church

Church of Opening Together)

 

 

Translated by Dong-Sung Kim