67th Anniversary of Bombing of Nagasaki

This week marks the 67th anniversary of the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

On August 6, 1945, the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima and then another on Nagasaki three days later, August 9, 1945. With just two bombs, more than 200,000 people -- mostly civilians -- were instantly incinerated or died from radiation poisoning by the end of 1945. Many more have died since and are still dying from the effects of radiation. The effect on future generations are still unknown.

Memorial in Nagasaki for those who died

Although Nagasaki has been completely rebuilt, powerful reminders of the atomic devastation can be found everywhere. The personal testimonies of the survivors, the Hibakusha, make the tragedy very real. Let us heed their plea:

"Never again!"

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Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who live by the sword will die by the sword. (Matthew 26:50-53)

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Jesus’ Last Words to the Church

By Father John Dear, SJ

We have spent the last 1700 years, denying Jesus’ final command. We have justified warfare, led our crusades, and stamped every bombing raid and nuclear weapon with our blessing.

But the commandment remains: “Put down the sword.” I think one day the church will realize that the just war theory has no place in the Gospel. They’ll realize it was by no means exemplified by the life of Jesus. And the theory will fall into disrepute. One day the church will teach only Gospel nonviolence. And Christians everywhere will quit the military and refuse to join. They’ll obstruct warfare and beat all swords into plowshares.

The unarmed Christ wants his community, the church, to be a community of creative, loving nonviolence, I submit. It’s God’s holy gift to the world. The challenge then is to take him at his word.

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A friend shared the following message with me via e-mail - thought I would share it with everyone so that we can continue to learn.

"Yesterday I was with someone who had been in Japan for several weeks, and she mentioned that everywhere, there is braille, because so many were blinded by the bombings. All along the brass stair rails down into the subway, for example. There are varying feels to the walkways, so that the blind know where to walk. I had never realized that there were so many blind people!

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Imagine a world filled with peace and love.

peacesojourner

Hiroshima, Aug 6, 1945 and Aug 9, 1945, Nagasaki

Hiroshima, August 6, 1945 and August 9, 1945, Nagasaki-

Totals: 105,000 killed and 94,000 injured

As many know, the atomic bomb has been used only twice in warfare. The first was at Hiroshima, Japan. A uranium bomb nicknamed "Little Boy" (despite weighing in at over four and a half tons) was dropped on Hiroshima August 6, 1945. The Aioi Bridge, one of 81 bridges connecting the seven-branched delta of the Ota River, was the target; ground zero was set at 1,980 feet. At 8:15 a.m. , the bomb was dropped from the Enola Gay. It missed by only 800 feet. At 8:16 a.m. , in an instant, 66,000 people were killed and 69,000 injured by a 10-kiloton atomic explosion.

The area of total vaporization from the atomic bomb blast measured one half mile in diameter; total destruction one mile in diameter; severe blast damage as much as two miles in diameter. Within a diameter of two and a half miles, everything flammable burned. The remaining area of the blast zone was riddled with serious blazes that stretched out to the final edge at a little over three miles in diameter.

Meanwhile in the United States a cartoonist sends a grim message -

I wonder if this was considered amusing at the time.

The New York Times reports to the nation

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Nagasaki

On August 9, 1945, Nagasaki fell to the same treatment. This time a Plutonium bomb nicknamed "Fat Man" was dropped on the city. Though "Fat Man" missed its target by over a mile and a half, it still leveled nearly half the city. In a split second, Nagasaki's population dropped from 422,000 to 383,000. More than 39,000 dead - over 25,000 people were injured.

Japan offered to surrender on August 10, 1945.

Statue in the Hiroshima Peace Park

The Monument to the Mobilized Students remembers nearly 7,000
Hiroshima school students who died in the atomic bomb blast.
They were 'mobilized' to demolish wooden buildings for firebreaks,
to produce food and to work in factories for the war effort.
The statue represents the Goddess of Peace with eight doves.
Thousands of paper cranes are left here by visitors seeking a world
in which children can live without fear of nuclear weapons.
The sign reading 'Peace' is made of folded paper cranes
glued onto a board.

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NOTE: Physicists who have studied these two atomic explosions estimate that the bombs utilized only 1/10th of 1 percent of their respective explosive capabilities.

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To remember the past is

to commit oneself to the future.

To remember Hiroshima is

to abhor nuclear war.

To remember Hiroshima is

to commit oneself to peace.

- Pope John Paul II 1981

The Power of Prayer - Pray for Japan Today

This group's sign says "We offer our prayers for the victims of the

Japan earthquake and tsunami."

The monks offer up prayers for the people of Japan

You know that feeling - when the task at hand seems hopeless.

The aftermath of the Tsunami -

A boat that was washed on top of a house

When we hear of disasters that happen in faraway places. and we see the photos of the people who are in pain and suffering, we often feel helpless, that there is nothing we can do.

Yes, we can send donations of money to the International Rescue teams and this

is a source of aid. I am suggesting to you that prayer does make change.

If you find yourself viewing my blog today, I am asking you to take a moment to view these photos again, slowly, and then offer up a prayer for the people in the photos and the people who are affected by this disaster. If each one of you does this then I can feel that I helped in a small way also.

If you do not believe in prayer then believe that others believe and do it anyway.

Feel free to pass this message along to others.

There is power in collective prayer.

peacesojourner

(all photos shown here are from AP)