religion peace and conflict

Question 1

violence in the bible

Answer 1

violence is present in the bible from the very beginning when cain murders abel. it is from cains own sinful heart that violence comes, and god condemns it and punishes him

Question 2

verse in bible that says murder is forbidden

Answer 2

exodus 20;13 where the sixth commandment is given

you shall not murder

Question 3

where does god condone violence

Answer 3

in parts of the old testament, god condones the use of violence within the context of wars, these wars fought by Israelites are ordered by god
these wars are either to claim or to protect land that god has promised to them
many Christians interpret these events in the old testament as giving justification for war to defend peoples and nations.
some believe that Jesus’ teachings makes it wrong to use violence in any context so they would always look for peaceful solutions

Question 4

causes of terrorism

Answer 4

often those involved in terrorism feel that there is no alternative they believe that
their actions have the potential to force change
their use of terror is an appropriate response to the given situation

Question 5

why do terrorist groups develop overtime

Answer 5

social reasons such as marginilisation of minority groups such groups may recive fewer rights or feel that their culture is being attacked and destroyed

for some terrorist organisations it is their fight for independence or international recognition and land that causes them to use violence. there may also be religious reasons for terrorism

when religious freedoms are violated some extremists choose to use violence in an effort to address the issue

Question 6

different Christian attitudes towards terrorism

Answer 6

the catholic church accepts that sometimes a just war is an appropriate response to terrorism
the church of england accepts the use of lethal force asa last resort in dealing with terrorists
the church believes that creating stronger communities will help to combat some of the causes of terrorism

Question 7

what is a just war

Answer 7

a war that meets certain criteria which make It justifiable

Question 8

what three areas for just war

Answer 8

jus ad bellum
jus in bello
jus post bellum

Question 9

what is jus ad bellum and what are the five criteria

Answer 9

this is the consideration of whether it is right to go to war
the five criteria are
the war must be started by the proper authority eg government
the reason to go to war must be just eg to protect people
everything must be done to make sure good instead of evil results from the war
the war must be the last resort every othe way of solving the situation mustve been tried and failed
the force used must be nomore than is necessary to ein and civillians or those not posing a threat should not be targeted

Question 10

what is jus in bello

Answer 10

this concers the actions taken within a war making sure the correct conduct is followed

Question 11

what is jus post bellum

Answer 11

this is referring to the actions taken after the war

Question 12

Christians attitudes towards a just war

Answer 12

Christians do not believe that war can be easily justified. unless a proposed war meets all the criteria of a just war they usually feel it should be avoided
Christians believe that the bible teaches the need to aim for peace and to maintain justice through at times war may be necessary to achieve this
catholics and Anglicans agree that war is always regretful as it signals that other peaceful means of solving a situation have failed.

Question 13

what is holy war.

Answer 13

holy war is an argument that states that physical violence is sometimes necessary to defend religion, the causes for a holy war may be include the claiming of land for the religion, the spreading of the faith or the defence of religious believers
neither the catholic nor Anglican churches have called on believers to fight in a holy war since the time of crusaders

Question 14

what are the three elements for holy wars

Answer 14

the achievement of a religious goal
being authorised by a religious leader such as the pope
the promise of a spiritual reward for those who take part

Question 15

does god support holy wars

Answer 15

it is usually believed that god himself is in favour of the holy war
this is supported by references to accounts in the bible when god sent his people into battle for example in the book of joshua

Question 16

evidence of holy war in the bible

Answer 16

Joshua 8;1

do not be afraid do not be discouraged take the whole army with you and go up and attack ai

Question 17

Christian attitudes to warfare

Answer 17

the Christian attitude to war is to safeguard human life as possible with some other human rights, such as not allowing torture
Christians also aim to make sure that war is limited in its level of violence, combatants are required to use neccsessary force to overcome the enemy they are nort allowed to kill indiscriminantly or kill when a lesser action would stop the enemy
these principles are very important to Christians as they seek to hold in balance Jesus’ teaching love your enemies (matthew 5;43) and at the same time stand up for the oppressed, defend the weak and overcome evil

Question 18

what church condemns the use of weapons

Answer 18

the Methodist church condemns the use of all weapons of mass destruction, chemical, biological and nuclear

Question 19

the value of peace

Answer 19

peace helps to limit suffering and develop harmony, and provides oppurtunities to promote mutual respect between peoples. as conflict and war is reduced so are the associated negative impacts such as poverty, homelessness and broken families
chrisitianity supports the high value that can be placed upon peace. this is the peace between god and humans through salvation, humans between each other, including love for enemies and peace between nations

Question 20

where does it say in the bible that absolute peace will be restored

Answer 20

Isaiah 11;6

the bible speaks of a time in the future when absolute peace will once again be restored

Question 21

what is pacifism

Answer 21

the belief that there should be no use of military force whatsoever whether the cause is just or not is irrelevant

Question 22

what do Christians who are pacifists aim to do

Answer 22

they aim to use peaceful methiods to resolve conflict instead of war some methods include sanctions, protests and boycotts

Question 23

what teaching do pacifists focus on

Answer 23

love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

Question 24

what is conditional pacifism

Answer 24

is an alternative standpoint and some Christians take this view
from the conditional pacifism standpoint it is the bad consequences of war and violence that makes them unacceptable. conditional pacifists would argue that there are times when an act of war will be less bad than the alternative consequences, in such cases the act of war is considered necessary

Question 25

what Christian denominations advocatepacifism

Answer 25

the brethren
the amish
the quakers

Question 26

what churches accept that there are times where force may have to used as the last resort

Answer 26

the catholic church and the Anglican church

Question 27

what is social justice

Answer 27

justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, oppurtunities and privileges within society

Question 28

what do Christians believe about social justice and how do they work towards it

Answer 28

Christians believe that it is important to work for social justice, achieving the fair treatment for all people as equal and valuable before god
there are many ways Christians can work towards social justice, eg many Christians support the fair trade movement , which ensures the fair prices are payed to producers in developing countries and the salvation army

Question 29

responses to social injustice

Answer 29

Christians believe they have a responsibility to stand up for the weak or the oppressed, they maintain that njustices in society should not be left unchalleneged
Christians advocate the value and dignity of all human beings. they do not accept that any human beings. they do not accept that any human should possess fewer right or values than another
for this reason all Christians are opposed to any form of social injustice Christians believe that every human has equal value in the eyes of god so they aim to achieve justice for all people

Question 30

what is the liberation theology

Answer 30

liberation theology is a Christian idea that god has the power to change situations in the world that are unjust
some Christians have taken this belief to mean that it is right to stand up against goverments that oppress their people or where the authorities misuse their powers
in response to lib theo Christians may take part in peaceful protests or actively take part in supporting those harmed by injustice