Conflict Flashcards
What are the causes for war?
greed - increase size or country or to gain resources
to spread their religion
to defend your country or an ally against a enemy
human rights - remove a corrupt government
What is the ‘Just War’ Theory
a just war is a war the Christian Churches define as acceptable
must meet certain criteria:
- there must be a just cause, e.g. protect innocent lives
- it should be the last resort and there is no other way to achieve peace
- if there is a real and obvious threat
- there must be a good chance of success
- the amount of good created by the war should exceed the evil created by the war
- only a legitimate authority can declare war
What are the four kinds of pacifism?
1) violence is allowed for personal defense, not warfare
2) no violence is ever allowed
3) help with war effort, as long as one doesn’t take up weapons
4) refuse to take part in warfare
Gandhi - “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”
What is terrorism and what are its causes?
terrorists use violence or threat of violence to achieve their aims, rather than a democratic process
causes:
1) political/social/economic inequality
2) religious extremism - Islamic fundamentalism states that terrorists will be rewarded with a place in paradise
3) ethnic disagreement and conflict
4) poverty and unemployment
Why are nuclear weapons used?
many countries used nuclear weapons as deterrence, other countries are afraid to attack
USA dropped two atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, over 140,000 people were killed but WW2 then ended
What are the effects and Christian responses to nuclear warfare?
everything in a few mile radius would be burnt
instant blindness for anyone who looked at the flash
fallout would cause disease for years to come
Christians disagree because it would result in the death of innocent civilians
in 1963, the Catholic Church asked western countries to disarm their nuclear weapons
