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Carolyn Tanner Irish

Episcopalian

The bishop of Episcopal Diocese of Utah said she deplores war, and believes the only just cause is self-defense.

Irish remembers the good will that flowed America's way after the Sept. 11 attacks.

"I do remember so vividly how together we were as a nation."

The war on terrorism erased that, she said.

"We squandered the good will and unity of the American people. We just didn't count those things as worth something. This country now is so divided, so politicized."

Diana Hirschi

Quaker

The "war on terror" is "mushy and wrongheaded," said Diana Hirschi, who as a Quaker is a pacifist and opposes all wars.

The very name is meaningless, she said. "The 'war on terror' is like saying the war on Pepsodent or the war on dung beetles. For right now it means a war on people who don't agree with us. I can't wrap my mind around it."

Shuaib-Ud Din

Muslim

Shuaib-Ud Din, imam of the West Valley City Mosque, believes the war in Iraq to be unjust - and said the difficulties encountered by the U.S. military are a result.

"You see the bad effects of this wrong. We have isolated many of our longtime allies. We have isolated moderate Muslim countries and the world has become a much more dangerous place."

"There is danger of genocide in Iraq, let alone civil war. You didn't have that threat before. . . . Hundreds of people's lives are being lost."

Timothy Clark

Southern Baptist

Timothy Clark, executive director of the Utah Idaho Southern Baptist Convention, sees the war as a fight for American freedoms as well as liberation for those in Iraq.

"I view this current conflict not just as a battle for our culture and our civilization. This really is a religious war."

The Sept. 11 attacks were a declaration of war, Clark said.

"Whose freedoms are we defending? We are defending human freedoms. That was true in World War I and World War II, Korea and Vietnam."

Clark believes God is allowing the current war. "God allowed it in the Old Testament and will use it in the end."

Dee Rowland

Roman Catholic

The war in Iraq is not just, said Dee Rowland, director of government relations for the Salt Lake Catholic Diocese.

"It was too soon and the danger was not imminent," she said. "But always, there is support for those who serve."

Elaine Englehardt

Latter-day Saint

Elaine Englehardt, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said she supports her many friends, students and a nephew who have served in the war, but does not support the war. "I am sorry for the horrific experiences some of them have seen and experienced."

Englehardt teaches philosophy at Utah Valley State College.

Christians, she said, should live according to the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew's gospel.

"In this sermon, we are asked to forgive others, turn the other cheek and not even allow ourselves to become angry with others."

Rev. Erik J. Richtsteig

Rev. Erik J. Richtsteig, pastor of St. James Catholic Church in Ogden, says the U.S. had every right to strike back after it was attacked on Sept. 11.

"If someone is pulling a gun out of their holster, you don't wait for them to pull the trigger before you do something about it."

Richtsteig said he is proud of the way the U.S. has executed the war, using proportional force and trying to keep the violence away from civilians.

"There hasn't been a terrorist attack in the United States [since Sept. 11] and they've stopped several."

- Kristen Moulton