Robert Oppenheimer was a theoretical physicist who studied in the U.S.A. and Europe. He became a professor at U.C. Berkeley and the California Institute of Technology. During his era, there were many physicists and scientific discoveries. Oppenheimer did research on what occurs during the death of stars. Americans believed that the Nazis might be developing atomic weapons and were ahead of them. General Groves, a military leader, sought Oppenheimer to be the leader of the Manhattan Project. They chose Los Alamos, New Mexico, as their central site for the development. The Los Alamos Lab was seized from Native American ancestral lands and Hispanic homesteaders without adequate compensation. They hired many scientists and engineers to conduct research. As they began to experiment and more discoveries occurred, the team began to harness the power of nuclear fission and find other alternatives to creating nuclear weapons.
The true reason for the development of nuclear weapons was to target the U.S.S.R. After WWII, the Soviet Union rapidly developed its nuclear arms program and tested its bombs faster than the US anticipated. Meanwhile, the US maintained its arsenal. An arms race ensued, and each country began building their own bigger and better weapons. This rivalry bled into the Cold War, and the U.S. developed a hydrogen bomb.
Archbishop John C. Wester wrote a pastoral letter called Living in the Light of Christ’s Peace: A Conversation Toward Nuclear Disarmament.
The letter begins with the archbishop detailing how he traveled through Japan and visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He states that “in one exhibit, I read about schoolchildren in Hiroshima who, on that fateful morning in August 1945, ran to the windows, attracted by a bright light. I wonder how many were running to their deaths, either instantaneously incinerated or dying later in agonizing pain. Normally, light brings new life and clearer vision. Not that day. Sadly, the light generated by the first nuclear explosion used in war brought only destruction and death.” American history, the winners, shows us only one side of the story: the good.
Pope Francis is a strong advocate who has steered the Church away from nuclear weapons and war because they are immoral. During a visit to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he said that “the use of atomic energy for purposes of war is today, more than ever, a crime not only against the dignity of human beings but against any possible future for our common home…The use of atomic energy for purposes of war is immoral, just as the possession of atomic weapons is immoral.” One of Jesus’ main teachings was about nonviolence: love your enemies. The Kingdom of God is about peace and love not war and injustice.
Archbishop Wester believes there must be a massive comprehensive cleanup of the Los Alamos National Laboratory to create jobs and save the environment. New Mexico ranks 49th in U.S.A. states income per capita. He states “we could mobilize the resources used for nuclear weapons in New Mexico for solar, wind, and geothermal resources, which will be needed as we stop extracting fossil fuels.” Also, these funds for nuclear war preparation could go towards ending poverty and hunger.
