A world free of nuclear weapons begins when hope and humanity rise above fear.
In an article, published this week in Pearls and Irritations Rev. Charissa Suli, President, Uniting Church in Australia Assembly, reinforces the Church’s call for Australia to join the global majority by signing the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The Treaty is the first legally binding international agreement to ban nuclear weapons.
The Uniting Church in Australia, …is a peace-making church. We encourage governments to resolve tensions through dialogue, not destruction. Our vision is for a world where security no longer depends on weapons, and where nations dismantle their nuclear stockpiles through a legally binding, time-bound plan.”
In July this year, ahead of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Uniting Church wrote to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong urging them to sign and ratify the TPNW. In that letter we said:
“Australia now has an historic opportunity to be on the right side of history. The Treaty provides a clear legal and moral framework to advance global nuclear disarmament. Australia has been left behind by more than 90 signatories, including many Pacific neighbours who still endure the toxic legacy of nuclear testing.”
In the article, Rev Suli states:
“Letting go of the illusion of nuclear faith and signing the TPNW would build trust with our Asia-Pacific neighbours and strengthen Australia’s credibility as a peacebuilder. It would show that real security lies not in threats of annihilation, but in relationships of justice and cooperation.”
The Gospel of Christ calls us to be peacemakers and reconcilers in a world where violence and enmity threaten life itself… Matthew 19:26 reminds us, “with God all things are possible”. Through prayer, co-operation and courage, it is possible to dismantle every nuclear weapon held by the nine nuclear-armed states.
“Love is more powerful than fear.” Rev. Charissa Suli closes.
Read the full article: Banning nuclear weapons will require love to triumph over fear | Pearls and Irritations – johnmenadue.com | Reverend Charissa Suli | 17 November 2025