Peace And Conflict Flashcards
1
Q
Christian beliefs on war
A
- Church teaches killing is wrong
- Quakers are pacifists who believe war is always wrong and work to prevent it
Forgiveness:
- Forgive if you wish to be forgiven - Lord’s Prayer
- Forgiveness should follow resolution of conflict
- Actions to establish peace and justice should be taken to avoid future conflict
- God offers forgiveness to all who ask in faith
Reconciliation:
- a conscious effort to rebuild a relationship damaged by conflict
2
Q
Muslim beliefs on war
A
The main message of Islam is peace
“Salam” means peace or safety
Fighting in self defence is justified but fighting without a just cause is against the will of God and Islam’s teachings
Peace:
- seek inner tranquility and peace through prayer and meditation
- The prophet Isaiah spoke of a time when God will bring peace
- The Quran emphasises peace
Justice:
- Isiah says God, the ultimate judge, will establish justice
- In Islam ‘the just’ is one of the 99 names of Allah who gives humans laws to follow
Forgiveness:
- God offers forgiveness to all who ask in faith
Reconciliation:
- A conscious effort to rebuild a relationship damaged by conflict
- Importamt to prevent conflict
3
Q
Violence and protest
A
- Christians believe protest to achieve what is right is acceptable as long as violence isn’t used
- The Christian Pastor MLK Jr organised peaceful protests against unjust racist laws and succeeded in bringing civil rights to African American citizens
- No religious teachings promote violence but they have different views on when violence is justified
- In Islam, fighting is only allowed in self defence or defence of faith and only against those who actively fight against you
4
Q
Terrorism
A
- Some individuals or groups use terrorism to further their cause by killing innocent people
- Suicide bombers, car bombers, gunmen shooting into crowds, using vehicles to injure pedestrians are all acts of terrorism
- The aim of terrorism is to make society aware of their cause with a religion but no religion promotes terrorism
- Terrorists may link their cause with a religion but no religion promotes terrorism
- Most Christians and Muslims believe terrorism is wrong as it targets innocent people
5
Q
Reasons for war
A
Greed
- To gain more land/ regain land lost
- To control important resources
- To deprive the enemy of their main source of income
- Bible and Quran warn against greed
Self defence:
- To defend ones country against invasion/ attack or defend allies
- To defend ones values, beliefs and way of life
- To defeat evil, eg. Genocide of a nation/ ethic group
- Many Christians and Muslims believe fighting in self defence is justified if all other ways of resolving conflict have been tried and failed
Retaliation:
- To fight against a country that has done something very wrong
- To fight against a country which has attached or damaged your country
- Jesus taught retaliation is wrong
- Islam teaches God knows the need for justice so permits “fair retribution” (Quran) but retaliation must be measured
- Torture + mutilation strictly forbidden in Islamic law
- Forgiveness is a better response to avoid bloodshed and be rewarded by God
6
Q
Nuclear war and WMD
A
Nuclear weapons devastate huge areas and kill large numbers
Chemical weapons - burn/ paralyse/ poison humans + destroy natural enviroment
Biological weapons - have living organisms or infective material that can lead to disease or death
Uses:
- US forces used atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WW2
- Caused 140,000 deaths in Hiroshima
- Japan surrendered, ending the war, so some say their use was justified
- Since then many countries have developed powerful nuclear weapons as a deterrent
WMD
- Chemical Weapons Convention made the production, stockpiling and use of these weapons illegal worldwide in 1993
- Chemical weapons are thought to have been used in Iraq and Syria
- Biological weapons introduce harmful bacteria and viruses into the atomosphere, food or water supplies that can kill large numbers
- Biological weapons are illegal but many countries still have them
7
Q
Christian and Muslim beliefs on nuclear war and WMD
A
Christian:
- Only God has the right to end life
- Nuclear, chemical and biological weapons kill huge numbers of innocent civilians so can never be justified
- Some Christians see the possessions of nuclear weapons as an effective deterrent to maintain peace and prevent attack
- eye for an eye is sometimes used to justify their use but this cannot justify WMD
Islam:
- god created all life on earth and Muslims have a duty to care for and preserve it
- The use of nuclear weapons would destroy Gods creation, killing millions of innocent people
- Some Muslims see the possession of nuclear weapons as a deterrent to maintain peace and prevent attack
8
Q
Just war
A
- A just war meets internationally accepted criteria for fairness
- Augustine (4th century) and Thomas Aquinas (13th century) developed just war theory
- Provides rules that must apply for it to be justifiable and ethical
- Lesser Jihad is the outward struggle to defend ones faith, family and country from threat
- It obliges Muslims to fight under certain conditions
9
Q
Conditions of Just war
A
It must:
- be fought for a just cause (eg. Self defence or defending others not to gain territory/ resources or in retaliation
- be declared by a proper legal authority
- have a just intention (fought to promote good/ defeat wrong, justice + peace should be restored afterwards
- be a last resort
- have a reasonable chance of success (the good gained by winning should outweigh the evil that led to the war)
- be proportional (excessive force shouldn’t be used and innocent civilians shouldn’t be killed)
Rules on how just war should be fought:
- the war should be fought by just means (innocent civilians shouldn’t be targeted or harmed)
- Only appropriate force should be used
- Internationally agreed conventions must be obeyed (Geneva Convention rules)
10
Q
Muslim attitudes to conduct in a war
A
- The 1st Caliph, Abu Bakr, devised rules for Muslims
- Muslim armies must not harm innocent civilians, animals, fruit bearing trees or people who are devout in their faith (eg. Monks)
- Dead bodies must not be mutilated and prisoners should be treated in a civilised way
Muslims generally believe - wars should be proportional and fought without anger, but its better to avoid war if possible
- Soldiers must be of sound mind and body and prisoners should be treated in a civilised way
11
Q
Holy war
A
Holy war- fighting for a religious cause/ God, probably controlled by a religious leader
- The Old Testament refers to God helping the Jews win battles to settle in the Promised Land
- In the Crusades (battles between Muslims and Christians between 11-14th centuries) both sides believed God was on their side
For both Muslims and Christians a holy war must be:
- authorised by a religious leader with great authority
- only be fought to defend the faith from attack eg. If right to practice religion is being denied
- Those who take part gain spiritual rewards eg. If they die in battle they will go straight to heaven/ paradise
- In Islam holy war must meet the criteria for a just war
12
Q
Religion as a cause of violence
A
- In UK, most Muslims and Christians do not respond violently to an attack on their faith
Christian Belieifs:
- Most accept Jesus’ teaching that violence and anger which leads to violence, is wrong
- ‘eye for an eye’ used to justify retaliation, but its a teaching intended to reduce violence by limiting retaliation to individual offenders as opposed to their whole tribe, many of whom were innocent
- Some Christians use Jesus’ words in (Luke 22:36) where he tells his disciples to buy a sword but he was most likely warning that dangerous times were ahead, not suggesting violence
Muslim Beliefs:
- Holy War must follow just war criteria
- Holy war can only be declared by a proper religious leader
- It cannot be declared to force people to convert to Islam
- It must be fought for God, not to show a leaders power
13
Q
Pacifism
A
Pacifism is the belief of people who refuse to take part in a war or any other form of violence
Peacemaking is the action of trying to establish peace
Pacifism
- believe conflicts can be settled in a peaceful way
- believe it’s better to prevent war by promoting peace and justice
- Quakers are a Christian denomination that strongly supports pacifism
- Conscientious Objectors in WW1/2 refused to fight and faced punishment although some took on non fighting roles eg. Cooks, nurses, etc.
- Islam is a religion of peace but not a pacifist religion because of the duty of Jihad
- Muslims seek inner peace through submission to Gods will and being part of the Ummah (brotherhood of Muslims)
14
Q
Examples of peace making in modern Britain
A
The Anglican Peace Fellowship
- works to overcome inequality and justice that lead to war within and between nations
- sponsors the Week of Prayer for World Peace, contributes to peace related events and religious services and raises awareness of the issue of pacifism
The Muslim Peace Fellowship
- Works against injustice and for peace in local communities and globally
- Affirms commitment to peace on behalf of all Muslims
- Tries to deepen peoples understanding of Muslim teachings about peace through publications and conferences and works to develop non violent strategies for issues in society
15
Q
Providing helps to victims of war
A
Victims of war may need:
- Psychological support
- Money to live on if the main wage earner dies
- A safe place to live
- Medical help for injuries
- Access to food and clean water
- A means of earning a living
Christians reasons for helping:
- Love thy neighbour
- Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan taught that everyone is everybody else’s neighbour regardless of age, gender, religion or political beliefs
Muslim reasons for helping:
- “whoever saved a life, it would be as if they saved the life of all of mankind
- Principles such as compassion, empathy, generosity motive Muslims to help
