Pacifism Flashcards
What does the ten commandments say?
“Do not kill”
What does Jesus say?
“Turn the other cheek,” “Love your enemies” and “Live by the sword, die by the sword”
What did Jesus not do?
Resist arrest
What did the Early church do?
Remove themselves from the world as they believed Christ would return. They wouldn’t join the army or take government jobs etc
What do Christians believe in?
The sanctity of life
What are many Christians?
Pacifist
What are some examples of peace churches?
The Quakers or the Mennonites
Who is a good example of Christian pacifism?
Martin Luther King
What did Martin Luther King argue?
Pacifism still involves action
What is another example of pacifism?
Gandhi’s civil disobedience
What do absolute pacifists see violence as?
Completely unacceptable
What do Contingent pacifists argue?
War cannot be waged in a morally acceptable way but recognise that some wars are justifiable in theory, e.g. self-defence
What do preferential pacifists argue?
Peace is always preferable to war as war is always so destructive, not only in terms of loss but economically which has a devastating effect on the poor
