Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Politics and Religion
Nobel Peace Prize Recipients And The Betrayal Of Peace

Nobel Peace Prize Recipients And The Betrayal Of Peace

Last updated on: October 13, 2025 at 1:23 am by Henry Karlson

0 Comments

Nobel Peace Prize Recipients And The Betrayal Of Peace 2025-10-13T01:23:59-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Gabo Bracho: Maria Corina Machado, Winner Of The Nobel Peace Prize / Wikimedia Commons

The first undergraduate course I taught was Ways of Peace in World Religions. I tried to provide a variety of texts from various religious traditions to help the class see what people of different faiths not only meant by the term peace, but the way they viewed how peace could and should be achieved. From the Buddhist tradition, I included a work from Aung San Suu Kyi, the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner from Myanmar (Burma). At that time, her legacy was one of peaceful resistance to a brutal regime, where she was constantly being put into house arrest; her Buddhist faith was seen as a part of the inspiration for what she was doing. Sadly, my class did tell me that the bookstore never got the book I ordered. That is why, when it came to discuss her work, only one person had a copy and had read it. As this was my first time teaching, it led to a minor disaster – I couldn’t teach the way I like to teach, which is to expect a basic foundation to explore and develop. I had to change my plans, and, of course, I didn’t do a good job at it. However, thinking back, it seems to be symbolic to what would happen later in the real world: when Aung San Suu Kyi was released, and got back involved in politics, she was elected and became the official leader of Myanmar, and as leader, her representation of a woman of peace, working for the common good, was destroyed. She was, it could be said, a disaster. She did little to nothing to stop the brutality going on, especially the way the Muslim Rohingya minority suffered at the hands of the military. They were being raped, tortured, and murdered. Her government also repressed the media as a way to try to hide the evil which was going on. Then, in 2019, she even went to the International Court of Justice to defend her government against the charges of ethnic cleansing and genocide.

How could someone who appeared to be a leader for peace, a woman who was seen as engaging what many believe to be a peaceful faith, fall so far? In part, it would seem she was not properly qualified for government, that the role was too much for her to handle. This is often the case in history. But, it would be one thing to be incompetent, it is another to defend the indefensible. Before she was in office, she served as a witness to the brutality of the regime which came before her; once she was in office, it became quite apparent she did so, not for the sake of creating a just peace for everyone in Myanmar, but for those allied with her and her own particular interests. Thus, when she got into power, she became, in part, the same thing she previously resisted. To be sure, there is some good in her legacy, that much of what she did to win the Nobel Peace Prize, at the time, was good, but it turned out to be imperfect as her vision was extremely limited, and in the end, she undermined the good will she had earned when she held power.

What happened to Aung San Suu Kyi’s legacy was a shock to many of us who looked up to her and what it appeared she represented. It, however, also taught many of us that those who do some good, and indeed, those who experience a lot of pain and suffering for that good, can still have a limited vision of the common good and eventually, the limits of that vision can be revealed. We can respect the good they have done, especially for those who seem to seek for and work for peace, but we must be cautious and watch and see what kind of vision they really have. Christian history has shown us this as well. Before Constantine, many great Christian thinkers wrote on issues of religious liberty, the need for peace, non-violent resistance, and even criticized the notion of the death penalty, but after Constantine, when Christians gained positions of power, many ignored what Christian had said in the past and started to do to others what had been done to them. It was not instantaneous, and a lot of it was not done by Constantine himself, indeed, it was Theodosius and those after him who truly represent the turn for the worse, but certainly, things changed with Constantine and while he was emperor, we can see Christians already changing their views, going against what the apologists had written. Despite that fact that there would always be those who reflected upon and engage the spirit found in the time of the martyrs, that is, the spirit of the writings of the apologists, it would become, as it were, a minority element, often barely hanging on, until the modern age, when we see it has once again become ascendant, both within Protestantism (thanks, in part, to the Social Gospel movement), and in Catholicism (with the development of its Social Doctrine ).

Thus, when I heard María Corina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025, and started hearing of her religious devotion, especially her devotion with the rosary, I thought we might have a good example of a faithful Catholic working for peace. However, my view of her quickly changed when I started to find out more about her and listen to what she was saying after it was announced she won award. I have now seen that like Aung San Suu Kyi, her peacebuilding might indeed be of a very limited kind, with limited focus and interest. That is because I saw she not only praised Donald Trump, she said she would receive the award in his honor, and even suggested that he should have been the one who won the award and that he should be the one who wins it next year. How can anyone working for peace, working for democratic reforms, even consider Trump a peacemaker, let alone, someone who deserves to be honored for peacemaking? Trump and his policies are creating chaos in the world, have helped bring death and destruction thanks to his nationalism (and greed), and is causing great pain and suffering within the United States, up to the point of silencing and repressing journalists as he engages what can be said to be warfare against cities within the United States run by politicians he does not like.

Religions, people of religious faith (or of no faith) can find inspiration for peacebuilding within their faith (or personal philosophy, for those who have no religious faith). They can do many great things. We have seen it time and time again in history. But sadly, many only take their religious faith so far, and prove to be very limited in their interest for peace. Religious nationalism has been emerging around the world. Through it, we find people in various countries assert a particular religious heritage for that country and then demand their country only serve the interests of that religious tradition. To do so, they repress, torture, and kill all others. Religions should be working together for peace, promoting religious liberty and human dignity, and of course, we often see this happening. But nationalism knows how to subvert that engagement and turn it around. Christianity, with its history before and after Constantine, shows us this. And now today, more than any other form of dangerous religious nationalism (be it Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, or any others), Christian nationalism as seen in the United States and Russia is the most dangerous, the most corrupt, and the deadliest; in no way should such nationalism find itself affirmed by granting one of its leaders, Trump, the Nobel Peace Prize. The fact that María Machado thinks he should makes me afraid of what would happen if she gets what she wants for Venezuela.

* This Is Another Post From My Personal (Informal) Reflections And Speculations Series

Stay in touch! Like A Little Bit of Nothing on Facebook.
If you liked what you read, please consider sharing it with your friends and family!

N.B.: While I read comments to moderate them, I rarely respond to them. If I don’t respond to your comment directly, don’t assume I am unthankful for it. I appreciate it. But I want readers to feel free to ask questions, and hopefully, dialogue with each other. I have shared what I wanted to say, though some responses will get a brief reply by me, or, if I find it interesting and something I can engage fully, as the foundation for another post. I have had many posts inspired or improved upon thanks to my readers.

Progressive Christian

Politics and Religion

History and Religion

Previous Post

October 12, 2025

Images Of Faith: How Visuals Convey The Truth Of God

Next Post

October 15, 2025 What Is Established By Love Will Never Be Eternally Lost

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"Gosh, did that hit the spot. I have been having great anxiety lately. And I ..."

Mark Wilson

Rejecting Doom: Christian Hope And Human ..."

"Justice and peace are two sides of the same coin. Where there is justice, there ..."

Dr.Cajetan Coelho

Justice First, Charity Beyond It: Serving ..."

"Thank you for your very, very powerful and very, very insightful analysis of the relationship ..."

alwayspuzzled

Justice First, Charity Beyond It: Serving ..."

"Given the amount of lethal malevolence that has prevailed in human history for the past ..."

alwayspuzzled

We Must Value Our Health

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz