Jesus' teachings too hard

Thank you for Paul Winner's illuminating report on the army's School for Advanced Military Studies (NCR, Jan. 12). It is encouraging to know that such discussions and thinking at least are going on, whatever their influence on policy. I was struck by Mr. Winner's statement that "Catholic thought regarding war arose from the church's most influential doctrinal architects, Sts. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas." That certainly seems to be true for the institution. I suppose it is unrealistic to hope that "Catholic thought" regarding war (or any significant issue) might ever be said to arise from the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.

It may well be that Jesus' teachings simply do not provide a realistic basis on which a functioning society can be based, and that Catholicism, as a religion that aspires to be embraced by ordinary people, cannot afford to push Jesus' teachings too hard. If so, integrity would seem to require the church (us) to stop kidding itself (ourselves) about following Jesus' teachings, and admit openly that his way (for example, "Love your enemies") is simply too radical, and that we must look elsewhere for life's guidelines.

DAVID J. WALKER

Wilmette, Ill.

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