WCC NEWS: National Christian Council in Japan: “Truly, nuclear weapons are inhumane ultimate evil”

The National Christian Council in Japan, in a “Statement Regarding the Enactment of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons,” expresses a “strong sense of disappointment that we have arrived at this point with the Japanese government neither approving nor ratifying” the treaty. Memorial ceremony in Nagasaki, Japan on 9 August, 2015, the 70th anniversary of the US dropping an atomic bomb on the city.  Photo: Paul Jeffrey/WCC 01 February 2021 The statement offers background on the path that has finally led to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and demands the Japanese government‘s immediate ratification of the treaty. “Although experiencing a number of nuclear tragedies, the Japanese government has refused to transform its energy policy, and moreover, has stubbornly refused to follow the path of joining the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons,” reads the statement. “Japan firstly gives reasons for hostile nations to continue developing nuclear weapons, and falls further into self-contradiction as the uncertainty of being the target of nuclear attacks continues to increase.” This path ignores the significance of the valuable lives of the atomic bomb victims lost in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, continues the statement. “Truly, nuclear weapons are inhumane ultimate evil, and Japan as a nuclear victim nation should be at the forefront boldly proclaiming its use, possession, and development should never be allowed,” the statement reads. “Japan should demand both sides holding nuclear weapons to abandon them, and should not neglect working toward peace out of deference to the United States.” Read the full NCCJ Statement National Christian Council in Japan WCC member churches in Japan See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 350 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC interim general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland