1.3 Peace and Conflict

Question 1

What are three reasons for conflict and war?

Answer 1

-territory
-religion
-politics

Question 2

What are the two major attitudes towards war?

Answer 2

1. The Just War Tradition
2. Pacifism

Question 3

What is the key question to Just War Tradition?

Answer 3

When, if ever, is it justifiable to go to war?

Question 4

What is the importance of Just War Tradition today?

Answer 4

-basis for international law that regulates:
1. armed conflict
2. declaration of war
3. how warfare is waged
4. whether things like torture are ever justifiable

Question 5

In the historical development of Just War Tradition, what is St Augustine’s argument?

Answer 5

-St Augustine (354-430) argued that war is only justifiable to protect peace
-St Augustine drew a distinction between war against an aggressor and a war that would ‘punish wickedness’ (although the two are occasionally the same).
-Little distinction in Augustine’s thought between a ‘just war’ and a ‘holy war’
=St Augustine always argued that war is a last resort and the idea situation is peace.

Question 6

What is the next historical development of Just War Tradition after St Augustine?

Answer 6

-St. Thomas Aquinas (13th century) elaborates on morality of going to war
-promotes three criteria:
1. Must be waged by a proper authority (e.g. the state or king)
2. Must be waged with right intentions and for a just cause (‘national honour’ doesn’t count)
3. Peace must be the goal of all war.
-Later scholars would extend the list of criteria

Question 7

What is the definition of Holy War?

Answer 7

‘A war that is waged in the name of religion, in the pursuit of some religious objective.’

Question 8

What are some examples of wars thought of as Holy Wars?

Answer 8

-Old Testament: Joshua and King David believed God was commanding them to wage war on the enemies of Israel
-Crusades, an attempt to take back control of the Holy Land and make it safe for Christian pilgrims: Pope John Paul II famously apologised for the massacring of civilians during crusades
-Colonial conquest as it enabled the spread of Christianity
(-Little support in teachings of Christ)

Question 9

What are the three categories for the criteria for a just war?

Answer 9

1. JUS AD BELLUM: The reasons given before initiating a war
2. JUS IN BELLO: Just conduct during a war
3. JUS POST BELLUM: Just conduct after a war

Question 10

Just war criteria of jus ad bellum

Answer 10

1. Just cause
2. Right intention (e.g. not for material gain)
3. Only a legitimate authority can declare war
4. Reasonable chance of success
5. Last resort after diplomacy has failed
6. The good benefits should outweigh the bad.

Question 11

Just war criteria for jus in bello

Answer 11

1. War must only target military, not civilians
2. Proportionality- all attacks must be proportionate
3. Minimum force should be used.

Question 12

Just war criteria for jus post bellum

Answer 12

1. Just cause to end the war
2. No revenge must be taken
3. Peace terms must be made and accepted by legitimate authorities (e.g. UN)
4. Any punishment is limited to those directly responsible for the conflict
5. Terms of surrender must be proportional to the original reason for the war.

Question 13

What are the four kinds of WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction)?

Answer 13

1. Nuclear weapons
2. Biological Weapons
3. Chemical Weapons
4. Radiological Weapons

Question 14

What are WMDs?

Answer 14

-Weapons of Mass Destruction which are designed to inflict maximum damage to life and property

Question 15

What would the use of a WMD involve? Are they moral?

Answer 15

-numerous civilian casualties as they cannot be targeted with precision in the same way as more conventional weapons
-For this reason, most regard their use as fundamentally immoral

Question 16

What is Roman Catholic Christian belief in terms of WMDs?

Answer 16

-they believe in multilateral disarmament (that all countries should dispose of their nuclear arsenals)

Question 17

What is the Church of England’s view on WMDs?

Answer 17

-should never be used but should be kept as a deterrent

Question 18

How might Christians argue for WMDs?

Answer 18

-In the Old Testament there are passages in which God commands the armies of Israel to destroy nations they find in their journey to the promised land.
-Deuteronomy 20, God says to Israel, “do not leave anything that breathes. Completely destroy them as the Lord your God has commanded you.”

Question 19

How do Christians view pacifism?

Answer 19

-default position of Jesus’ teachings in the Gospel
-at odds with much of the Old Testament where God seems to lead the people of Israel into numerous battles against assorted groups of people (many of whom posed no obvious threat)

Question 20

What is pacifism?

Answer 20

The stance that all wars are immoral and that there can be no such thing as a ‘just’ war.

Question 21

What do pacifists do in times of military draft or conscription?

Answer 21

-during conscription, pacifists are normally conscientious objectors
-therefore pacifists refuse military service
-however, some will take up military roles that don’t involve the use of arms- such as medical or administrative roles
-In Britain, legislation was introduced to specifically exempt Quakers and other objectors from military service- however, the can be made to do non-combatant roles

Question 22

What’s the difference between pacifism and passivism`

Answer 22

-most pacifists advocate non-violent resistance to injustice
-passivists don’t

Question 23

What are two Biblical teachings about pacifism?

Answer 23

-The Sermon on the Mount
-Jesus’ Arrest in the Gospel of Matthew

Question 24

Describe The Sermon on the Mount

Answer 24

-begins with the Beatitudes (sums up Jesus’ teachings)
-one of them is ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’
-Later, Jesus reinterprets the Old Testament law that allowed for retaliation (“an eye for an eye etc.”)
-Jesus says, “Do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
-Instead of fighting our enemies, Jesus goes on to say that Christians ought to ‘love’ their enemies, to do ‘good to those who hate you’, to pray for your enemies4

Question 25

Describe Jesus’ Arrest in the Gospel of Matthew

Answer 25

-Jesus is arrested
-one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear
-Jesus says ‘Put your sword back in its place, for all who live by the sword will die by the sword”

Question 26

When and where were the Quakers founded?

Answer 26

England, 17th century

Question 27

What did the founder of Quakerism argue and who was he?

Answer 27

George Fox argued that nonviolence should be central to the denomination (“Our weapons are not the outward weapons of war”)

Question 28

What did Quakers do during WW1?

Answer 28

-established the ‘Friends Ambulance Unit’
-offered medical treatment to anyone injured in battle

Question 29

What do Quakers in Britain do today?

Answer 29

-Campaign to end the unhealthy culture of ‘militarism’ in the country
-On a Quaker report called “Take action on Militarism”, they said that “We are encouraged to think well of the armed forces and uncritically accept what they do”
-actively work to create public debate around things like arms trade, Remembrance celebrations and the visibility of the military in public disclosure: they reject red poppies in favour of white poppies

Question 30

What is the Quaker view on Remembrance?

Answer 30

-red poppies signify the positions of saying “never again” to loss and suffering and that there’s no reason to question the morality of the wars in which the loss and suffering happened.
-Authorities (e.g. military and government) emphasise support for the armed forces rather than reflection on the suffering of war.
-TV presenters and public figures are instructed to wear red poppies many days before Armistice day, sporting events are heavily branded with the poppy, and some schools require pupils to wear the poppies.
-Whilst it is very important to remember those who have suffered, it is also important to question why war happens and not to allow Remembrance to be used to sanction military action.

Question 31

What is Pax Christi?

Answer 31

-an international group of Roman Catholics who work towards peace
-movement began in France immediately after WW2 to work towards a world in which such conflicts could never happen.
-Three aims: Peace, Reconciliation, Nonviolence
-In a similar way to the Quakers, Pax Christi wants people to reflect on the horrors of war rather than its glorification during Remembrance activities

Question 32

What does Peace mean in Pax Christ’s aims?

Answer 32

-based on justice
-world where: human rights are respected
-basic needs are met
-people feel safe and valued within their communities

Question 33

What does reconciliation mean in Pax Christi’s aims?

Answer 33

-process which begins when people try to mend relationships
-done between individuals or whole countries after times of conflict or dispute

Question 34

What does nonviolence mean in Pax Christi’s aims?

Answer 34

-a way of living and making choices that respects others and offers alternatives to violence and war

Question 35

What are the two case studies for Christian Pacifist groups?

Answer 35

-The Quakers
-Pax Christi

Question 36

What are the three current conflict case studies?

Answer 36

-Israel/Palestine
-Afghanistan
-Iraq

Question 37

Who ruled Palestine in the beginning of the 1900s?

Answer 37

Ottoman Empire

Question 38

What was Zionism and what was the movement trying to achieve?

Answer 38

-A religion that stated that Judaism wasn’t just a religion but a nationality
-They were trying to achieve their own nation

Question 39

What happened to Palestine after WW1?

Answer 39

Britain took control of most of it.

Question 40

Why was Jewish immigration to Palestine a problem?

Answer 40

-As more Jews migrated there, settling into farming communes, tension between Arabs and Jews grew.
-In the 1930s, the British began controlling Jewish immigration

Question 41

What happens in 1945 as a result of WW2?

Answer 41

-WW2 causes many Jews to flee to British Palestine because of the Holocaust
-In 1945, the UN approves of a plan to separate British Palestine into two separate states: one for Jews, Israel, and one for Arabs, Palestine

Question 42

What did Arab Palestine do after the UN split up Palestine into Palestine and Israel?

Answer 42

-Declared war on Israel
-Lost the war
-At the end of the war, Israel controlled all of Palestine except for:
-Gaza, controlled by Egypt
-the West Bank, controlled by Jordan
-created a large Palestinian refugee population

Question 43

What is the PLO?

Answer 43

-Palestinian Liberation Organisation
-Formed in the 1960s to seek a Palestinian state
-Wanted to claim all of British Palestine, thus meaning they wanted all of Israel
-During peace negotiations after 1993, extremists would use violence to derail the peace.
-Fought from 1993-2014

Question 44

Cause of Afghan war?

Answer 44

-roots in 9/11 201
-Attack headed by Al Qaeda headed by Osama Bin Laden, radical Islam group
-US initiated military operations in Afghanistan, fighting against the Taliban (continues today

Question 45

To what extent is war in Afghanistan religiously motivated for Al-Qaeda?

Answer 45

-plays role in acts of Islamist-inspired terrorism
-many of their motivations linked to specifically geopolitical issues (e.g. military occupation by US troops)
-One of the most in-depth studies by Professor Robert Pape from the University of Chicago done on videos left behind by suicide bombers: 9/11 and in Muslim-majority countries
-Study concluded that while the Qur’an would be referenced or Islamic terms used in videos, purpose was primarily political
-Others disagree, saying that terrorists have a warped understanding of the Qur’an but that this still influences their attacks (i.e. Crusaders promised with heaven)

Question 46

How is the Afghan war motivated by religion for the USA?

Answer 46

-George Bush reported to have said “God would tell me, ‘George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan.’ And I did, and then God would tell me, ‘George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq,’ and I did.”
-Tony Blair’s biographer, Sir Anthony Seldon argues that Blair himself felt a religious conviction by sending troops to Afghanistan and Iraq, he was on the right side of a fight of good and evil.

Question 47

How was the conflict in Iraq caused?

Answer 47

-widely viewed as a continuation of the ‘War on Terror’ rooted in 9/11.
-Since 1990, Iraq has been designated as a ‘state sponsor of terrorism’ by the US government
-Some suspected that Sadam Hussein (5th president of Iraq) of producing WMDs
-Even though there was no evidence of WMDs, the war went ahead, starting in March 2003
-According to George W. Bush, the aim was to ‘disarm Iraq, to free its people, and to defend the world from grave danger.’
-Iraq also has vast supplies of oil: private oil companies were vying for contracts as soon as the invasion began
-On 15th February 2003, there was a global day of protest where millions of people in almost 80 countries took to the streets
-In London, it is estimated that almost 2 million people protested, making it the largest protest in British history, and globally, the single biggest day of protest in history.