The Nonviolent Alternative [Paperback]

Thomas Merton (Author), Gordon C. Zahn (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1981

The writings in this work were precipitated by a variety of events during the last decades of Merton's life - the civil rights and peace movements of the 1960s among them. His timeless moral integrity and tireless concern for nonviolent solutions to war are eloquently expressed.

Editorial Reviews

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

I

PRINCIPLES
OF PEACE

Original Child Bomb
Points for meditation to be scratched
on the walls of a cave

1: In the year 1945 an Original Child was born. The name Original Child was given to it by the Japanese people, who recognized that it was the first of its kind.
2: On April 12th, 1945, Mr. Harry Truman became the President of the United States, which was then fighting the Second World War. Mr. Truman was a vice president who became President by accident when his predecessor died of a cerebral hemorrhage. He did not know as much about the war as the President before him did. He knew a lot less about the war than many people did.
About one hour after Mr. Truman became President, his aides told him about a new bomb which was being developed by atomic scientists. They called it the “atomic bomb.” They said scientists had been working on it for six years and that it had so far cost two billion dollars. They added that its power was equal to that of twenty thousand tons of TNT. A single bomb could destroy a city. One of those present added, in a reverent tone, that the new explosive might eventually destroy the whole world. But Admiral Leahy told the President the bomb would never work.
3: President Truman formed a committee of men to tell him if this bomb would work, and if so, what he should do with it. Some members of this committee felt that the bomb would jeopardize the future of civilization. They were against its use. Others wanted it to be used in demonstration on a forest of cryptomeria trees, but not against a civil or military target. Many atomic scientists warned that the use of atomic power in war would be difficult and even impossible to control. The danger would be very great. Finally, there were others who believed that if the bomb were used just once or twice, on one or two Japanese cities, there would be no more war. They believed the new bomb would produce eternal peace.
4: In June 1945 the Japanese government was taking steps to negotiate for peace. On one hand the Japanese ambassador tried to interest the Russian government in acting as a go-between with the United States. On the other hand, an unofficial approach was made secretly through Mr. Allen Dulles in Switzerland. The Russians said they were not interested and that they would not negotiate. Nothing was done about the other proposal, which was not official. The Japanese High Command was not in favor of asking for peace, but wanted to continue the war, even if the Japanese mainland were invaded. The generals believed that the war should continue until everybody was dead. The Japanese generals were professional soldiers.
5: In the same month of June, the President’s committee decided that the new bomb should be dropped on a Japanese city. This would be a demonstration of the bomb on a civil and military target. As “demonstration” it would be a kind of a “show.” “Civilians” all over the world love a good “show.” The “destructive” aspect of the bomb would be “military.”
6: The same committee also asked if America’s friendly ally, the Soviet Union, should be informed of the atomic bomb. Someone suggested that this information would make the Soviet Union even more friendly than it was already. But all finally agreed that the Soviet Union was now friendly enough.
7: There was discussion about which city should be selected as the first target. Some wanted it to be Kyoto, an ancient capital of Japan and a center of the Buddhist religion. Others said no, this would cause bitterness. As a result of a chance conversation, Mr. Stimson, the Secretary of War, had recently read up on the history and beauties of Kyoto. He insisted that this city should be left untouched. Some wanted Tokyo to be the first target, but others argued that Tokyo had already been practically destroyed by fire raids and could no longer be considered a “target.” So it was decided Hiroshima was the most opportune target, as it had not yet been bombed at all. Lucky Hiroshima! What others had experienced over a period of four years would happen to Hiroshima in a single day! Much time would be saved, and “time is money!”
8: When they bombed Hiroshima they would put the following out of business: the Ube Nitrogen Fertilizer Company; the Ube Soda Company; the Nippon Motor Oil Company; the Sumitoma Chemical Company; the Sumitoma Aluminum Company, and most of the inhabitants.
9: At this time some atomic scientists protested again, warning that the use of the bomb in war would tend to make the United States unpopular. But the President’s committee was by now fully convinced that the bomb had to be used. Its use would arouse the attention of the Japanese military class and give them food for thought.
10: Admiral Leahy renewed his declaration that the bomb would not explode.
11: On the 4th of July, when the United States in displays of fireworks celebrates its independence from British rule, the British and Americans agreed together that the bomb ought to be used against Japan.
12: On July 7th the Emperor of Japan pleaded with the Soviet Government to act as mediator for peace between Japan and the Allies. Molotov said the question would be “studied.” In order to facilitate this “study” Soviet troops in Siberia prepared to attack the Japanese. The Allies had, in any case, been urging Russia to join the war against Japan. However, now that the atomic bomb was nearly ready, some thought it would be better if the Russians took a rest.
13: The time was coming for the new bomb to be tested, in the New Mexico desert. A name was chosen to designate this secret operation. It was called “Trinity.”
14: At 5:30 A.M. on July i6th, 1945, a plutonium bomb was successfully exploded in the desert at Alamogordo, New Mexico. It was suspended from a hundred-foot steel tower which evaporated. There was a fireball a mile wide. The great flash could be seen for a radius of 250 miles. A blind woman miles away said she perceived light. There was a cloud of smoke 40,000 feet high. It was shaped like a toadstool.
15: Many who saw the experiment expressed their satisfaction in religious terms. A semi-official report even quoted a religious book—the New Testament—“Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief.” There was an atmosphere of devotion. It was a great act of faith. They believed the explosion was exceptionally powerful.
16: Admiral Leahy, still a “doubting Thomas,” said that the bomb would not explode when dropped from a plane over a city. Others may have had “faith,” but he had his own variety of “hope.”
17: On July 21st a full written report of the explosion reached President Truman at Potsdam. The report was documented by pictures. President Truman read the report and looked at the pictures before starting out for the conference. When he left his mood was jaunty and his step was light.
18: That afternoon Mr. Stimson called on Mr. Churchill, and laid before him a sheet of paper bearing a code message about the successful test. The message read “Babies satisfactorily born.” Mr. Churchill was quick to realize that there was more in this than met the eye. Mr. Stimson satisfied his legitimate curiosity.
19: On this same day sixty atomic scientists who knew of the test signed a petition that the bomb should not be used against Japan without a convincing warning and an opportunity to surrender.
At this time the U.S.S. Indianapolis, which had left San Francisco on the 18th, was sailing toward the Island of Tinian, with some U 235 in a lead bucket. The fissionable material was about the size of a softball, but there was enough for one atomic bomb. Instructions were that if the ship sank, the uranium was to be saved first, before any life. The mechanism of the bomb was on board the U.S.S. Indianapolis, but it was not yet assembled.
20: On July 26th the Potsdam declaration was issued. An ultimatum was given to Japan: “Surrender unconditionally or be destroyed.” Nothing was said about the new bomb. But pamphlets dropped all over Japan threatened “an enormous air bombardment” if the army would not surrender. On July 26th the U.S.S. Indianapolis arrived at Tinian and the bomb was delivered.
21: On July 28th, since the Japanese High Command wished to continue the war, the ultimatum was rejected. A censored version of the ultimatum appeared in the Japanese press with the comment that it was “an attempt to drive a wedge between the military and the Japanese people.” But the Emperor continued to hope that the Russians, after “studying” his proposal, would help to negotiate a peace. On July 3Oth Mr. Stimson revised a draft of the announcement that was to be made after the bomb was dropped on the Japanese target. The statement was much better than the original draft.
22: On August 1st the bomb was assembled in an airconditioned hut on Tinian. Those who handled the bomb referred to it as “Little Boy.” Their care for the Original Child was devoted and tender.
23: On August 2nd President Truman was the guest of His Majesty King George VI on board the H.M.S. Renown in Plymouth Harbor. The atomic bomb was praised. Admiral Leahy, who was present, declared that the bomb would not work. His Majesty George VI offered a small wager to the contrary.
24: On August 2nd a special message from the Japanese Foreign Minister was sent to the Japanese Ambassador in Moscow. “It is requested that further efforts be exerted. . . . Since the loss of one day may result in a thousand years of regret, it is requested that you immediately have a talk with Molotov.” But Molotov did not return from Potsdam until the day the bomb fell.
25: On August 4th the bombing crew on Tinian watched a movie of “Trinity” (the Alamogordo Test). August 5th was a Sunday but there was little time for formal worship. They said a quick prayer that the war might end “ve...

Product Details

• Paperback: 270 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (June 1, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374515751
• ISBN-13: 978-0374515751
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,437,497 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thomas Merton (1915-1968) is arguably the most influential American Catholic author of the twentieth century. His autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain, has millions of copies and has been translated into over fifteen languages. He wrote over sixty other books and hundreds of poems and articles on topics ranging from monastic spirituality to civil rights, nonviolence, and the nuclear arms race.

After a rambunctious youth and adolescence, Merton converted to Roman Catholicism and entered the Abbey of Gethsemani, a community of monks belonging to the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (Trappists), the most ascetic Roman Catholic monastic order.

The twenty-seven years he spent in Gethsemani brought about profound changes in his self-understanding. This ongoing conversion impelled him into the political arena, where he became, according to Daniel Berrigan, the conscience of the peace movement of the 1960's. Referring to race and peace as the two most urgent issues of our time, Merton was a strong supporter of the nonviolent civil rights movement, which he called "certainly the greatest example of Christian faith in action in the social history of the United States." For his social activism Merton endured severe criticism, from Catholics and non-Catholics alike, who assailed his political writings as unbecoming of a monk.

During his last years, he became deeply interested in Asian religions, particularly Zen Buddhism, and in promoting East-West dialogue. After several meetings with Merton during the American monk's trip to the Far East in 1968, the Dali Lama praised him as having a more profound understanding of Buddhism than any other Christian he had known. It was during this trip to a conference on East-West monastic dialogue that Merton died, in Bangkok on December 10, 1968, the victim of an accidental electrocution. The date marked the twenty-seventh anniversary of his entrance to Gethsemani.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars NECESSARY AND CHRISTIAN SOLUTIONS TO TODAY'S MORASS OF VIOLENCE, March 24, 2007

By 

C. Scanlon "least helpful reviewer" (among us humans) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Nonviolent Alternative (Paperback)

Certainly no one more than Father Thomas Merton himself, Trappist monk and hermit and writer, would be more concerned by the excesses of "Tomolatry" which emerged after his tragic assassination in 1968. Nevertheless, he remains the most critical, brilliant, intelligent, wise, courageous, instructive, ethical, moral and faith-based voice in our nation, and his writings increasingly teach us essential lessons for living in Peace and in Christ.

As we today witness the ineluctable surge of endless and counter-productive military violence which cannot possibly construct a stable and peaceful society in Iraq, we need now to remember this informative, ethical, moral, and faith based collection of essays by Father Merton. He as so often writes with such profound moral and Christian principle that he could be writing for us today. Would that he could!

This important collection of Father Merton's prayers, meditations and exhortations, originally published posthumously as Thomas Merton On Peace, opens with a lengthy, scholarly and brilliant essay by the great Gordon C. Zahn, defining the terms and raising the issues which the writings of Merton address throughout this substantial book. Zahn's essay in itself is sufficient feast for reflection on our times and on our individual states of grace, yet it merely serves like Virgil in Dante's trilogy to guide and introduce us to the wonders and truths which lie beyond.

The collection of Father Merton writings are divided in three parts: Principles of Peace (eighteen essays), The Nonviolent Alternative (fifteen essays, including Blessed are the Meek: The Christian Roots of Nonviolence), and a series of Incidental Writings, including the Chant to be used in Processions around a site with Furnaces, of which the final line calls to us today: "Do not think yourself better because you burn up friends and enemies with long range missiles without ever seeing what you have done"

This excellent collection ends with a Prayer for Peace which ought to be required reading at every Catholic liturgy this season, as originally read in the US House of Representatives on Wednesday of Holy Week in 1962, some 45 years ago April 12. This two page prayer justifies the small price of this great book, and should be graven in our hearts, for our continued conversion to Christ, Prince of Peace, to awaken us to the evil military peril we so softly accept as normal and right. Christ is the Nonviolent Alternative who alone can construct a peaceful society.

Read this book and rediscover our True Faith.

5.0 out of 5 stars Sound logic for the developing world and evolving Christian, January 23, 2012

By 

Davey Jones "D.R. Jones" (Philadelphia, PA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Nonviolent Alternative (Kindle Edition)

The Nonviolent Alternative presents an exhaustive compilation of Merton's dissertations about the role of the Christian, the church, and the citizen in the function of peacekeeping. The book specifically targets the topics of nuclear warfare, the Cold War, and the arms race.

The reader will likely find the book at least slightly redundant of itself. The book contains constant references to catholic ideology -a fact which many non Catholics will likely find grating. However, the book challenges the logical processes of the reader and forces him or her into contemplations that the reader has unlikely grappled with before. The book presents a profound introduction to Merton as well as his rhetoric.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HERE WE MAY DISCOVER IN ONE BOOK AND CLEARLY STATED FATHER MERTON'S PACIFIST STANCE IN FOLLOWING JESUS CHRIST TO CALVARY, December 11, 2007

By 

C. Scanlon "least helpful reviewer" (among us humans) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Nonviolent Alternative (Paperback)

Father Merton before his martyrdom felt compelled ever more clearly to speak the Truth of Peace, Contemplation, Compassion and Pacifism as universal Christian practice. During the year of his martyrdom several very Christian voices for peace shared his fate, as during that year of imperialist and profitable warfare peace was not in fashion any more than now.

Which is why we now may read this prophetic and Catholic book to grow clear and strong and consoled, to recall our Faith, to practice our Faith, to find the path to our Faith in Jesus Christ who declared He gives us Peace, His peace he leaves to us, you orders us to Love our Enemies and do good to those who hate us.

The Reverend Father Thomas Merton remains the most critical, brilliant, intelligent, wise, courageous, instructive, ethical, moral and faith-based voice in our nation, and his writings increasingly teach us essential lessons for living in Peace and in Christ.

As we today witness the ineluctable surge of endless and counter-productive military violence which cannot possibly construct a stable and peaceful society in Iraq, we need now to remember this informative, ethical, moral, and faith based collection of essays by Father Merton. He as so often writes with such profound moral and Christian principle that he could be writing for us today. Would that he could!

This important collection of Father Merton's prayers, meditations and exhortations, originally published posthumously as Thomas Merton On Peace, opens with a lengthy, scholarly and brilliant essay by the great Gordon C. Zahn, defining the terms and raising the issues which the writings of Merton address throughout this substantial book. Zahn's essay in itself is sufficient feast for reflection on our times and on our individual states of grace, yet it merely serves like Virgil in Dante's trilogy to guide and introduce us to the wonders and truths which lie beyond.

The collection of Father Merton writings are divided in three parts: Principles of Peace (eighteen essays), The Nonviolent Alternative (fifteen essays, including Blessed are the Meek: The Christian Roots of Nonviolence), and a series of Incidental Writings, including the Chant to be used in Processions around a site with Furnaces, of which the final line calls to us today: "Do not think yourself better because you burn up friends and enemies with long range missiles without ever seeing what you have done"

This excellent collection ends with a Prayer for Peace which ought to be required reading at every Catholic liturgy this season, as originally read in the US House of Representatives on Wednesday of Holy Week in 1962, some 45 years ago April 12. This two page prayer justifies the small price of this great book, and should be graven in our hearts, for our continued conversion to Christ, Prince of Peace, to awaken us to the evil military peril we so softly accept as normal and right. Christ is the Nonviolent Alternative who alone can construct a peaceful society.

Read this book and rediscover our True Faith.