As a student of this Catholic university, it concerns me that the administration saw the efforts of College Republicans as contrary to Catholic values. As to Mission Week, God states in His Word that there is "a time for war and a time for peace" (Ecclesiastes 3:8). It is a cycle, and in a fallen world, the two must go together. Therefore, He has given us guidelines as to what constitutes a "just war" and what does not.

In Romans 13:1-7, St. Paul lays out the government's God-given authority and right to punish evil. In verse 4, he says, "For he (the government) is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer." If Paul could say this about the Roman authorities, who, recall, put many of the early Christians to death for sport, how much more can we trust that God put our leaders of today in their positions for a reason?

Furthermore, throughout the Old Testament, God emphasizes this through his judges leading his people to Israel. (Remember Samson, Deborah, Gideon, and Ehud?) When attacked, God allowed, even lead, Israel into war with another nation. King David, with whom God establishes an everlasting kingdom (2 Samuel 7), lived a life of war, from his slaying of Goliath as a young shepherd boy (1 Samuel 17), to his death (1 Kings 2:10). How many prophets of the Old Testament prophesied war as part of God's will and peace as God's gift?

Indeed, war has been such an intricate part of society that Paul even compares the walk of a Christian's life to spiritual battle, stating in Ephesians 6:11-12 that we should "put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm."

In addition, the Book of Proverbs also gives us guidelines as to times of war and doing what is just. Proverbs 24:11-12 speaks of this, saying, "Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward the slaughter. With a foreign leader, Saddam Hussein, oppressing his people, as survivors of the torture chambers have testified in various articles in newspapers: Time, Newsweek and Sports Illustrated, and the knowledge of this (not to mention intelligence suggesting a real possibility of major weapons), a God-given responsibility to stand up existed at the time we went to war. God also charges His people in Proverbs 31:8-9 to "speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." Living in an oppressive dictatorship in a country filled with powerful terrorists, the Iraqi people surely meet this criteria.

In conclusion, I cannot understand how supporting our men and women fighting for those who could not fight for themselves contradicts the morals and values of Christianity. If anything, the Bible supports just wars — indeed, almost commands them when necessary — rather than condemns them. Peace springs from the fruits of war. Let's all hope and pray to the Lord that peace comes soon to the Middle East and Iraq and help bring the war to completion so that it is possible.

Colleen Farelly is a freshman pre-med and theology student.

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Feb. 8 2005.