theme b: religion, peace and conflict Flashcards
what is violence?
a rejection of the ideals God wants for the world
how can people face life’s challenges?
people need a deep feeling of wellbeing and an inner calm (the peace that Jesus gives) to face life’s challenges
quote about being mean to eachother in the bible:
‘if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement’
quote about bullying (bible)
‘with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God’ (mouths)
what is forgiveness?
showing grace and mercy, and pardoning someone for what they have done wrong
teachings on forgiveness in the bible:
‘forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us’
what is reconciliation?
the restoring of harmony after relationships have broken down
what does reconciliation lead to?
peace
reconciliation brings:
-a stronger relationship
-appreciation and acceptance of each other
-a more peaceful future
-opportunities to learn from the past
what is justice?
being fair
what did the prophet amos state?
creating justice is more important than ensuring that worship is done correctly (‘but let justice roll down like waters’)
what do christians think about righteous anger?
its acceptable because it can be controlled and channelled into positive action, which can improve a situation
christian opinions on peaceful protest
-most catholics agree with the UK law that it is legitimate to protest peacefully
-they may take part in a peaceful march or procession to make their point
-many christians believe that violent protest is an ineffective and damaging way to create change, and may result in loss of life
christian opinions on violent protests
-some people will support violent protest in some circumstances providing no people are harmed
-some people will join others in taking part in protests which they accept may lead to violence, if they believe that it is the only way to get the government to take notice and end injustice
-the church took part in protests which became violent against the government in the democratic republic of congo in 2015
who devised the just war theory?
st augustine & st thomas aquinas
just war theory
a set of criteria that a war needs to meet before it can be justified
background to the just war
theory
the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one (bible)
just war criteria:
-must be the last resort
-must be a just cause
-there must be a reasonable chance of winning and bringing lasting peace
-it must be declared by a legitimate authority
-only proportional force should be used
-innocent civilians should not be attacked
what is a WMD?
a weapon of mass destruction
why are catholics against nuclear weapons?
-they are completely indiscriminate and have long-term effects
-they are totally disproportionate to any possible success that may follow
-with WMDs the possibility of success is small;
-the cost of researching, building and maintaining these weapons is great; it prevents governments from spending to improve people’s lives
-possession of these weapons increases tension and fear, making the world less safe
pope john XXIll on WMDs
-people are living in the grip of constant fear’
-‘nuclear weapons must be banned’
-‘nothing is lost by peace; everything may be lost by war’
catholic opinions in support of nuclear weapons
-having nuclear weapons deters aggressive attacks from other countries
-having such weapons is important for self-defence, particularly when other countries have them
catholic opinions in opposition of nuclear weapons
-many christians call for nuclear disarmament & may support organisations such as the campaign for nuclear disarmament (CND)
-someone needs to start the process of disarmament: britain should do this
the catholic church on civilian casualties
the catholic church teaches that it’s wrong for civilians to be attacked or threatened; instead, they should be protected
why are most civilians forced to flee?
their homes have been destroyed or they face serious risk of death
the catholic church on refugees
-most flee with few possessions and have difficulty in finding somewhere safe to rebuild their lives
-many end up living in refugee camps in very poor conditions
-the catholic church believes that refugees should be welcomed and protected by all countries
pope francis on the syrian refugee crisis
‘may every… religious community …host a family’
contrasting views to christian views on modern warfare
-some people believe that’s it’s acceptable to use powerful destructive weapons as they end wars quickly
contrasting views to christian views on refugees
some people argue that britain hasn’t got enough resources to support lots of refugees
holy war
fighting for a religious cause or God, probably controlled by a religious leader
war & violence in the OT
-israelites fought to establish themselves in the promised land and to defend the country
isiah 2:4
‘nation shall not lift up sword against nation’
to christians, who must a holy war be approved by?
a religious leader with great authority
what should the purpose of a holy war be?
to defend the christian faith from attack
what will people who take part in holy war gain?
spiritual rewards
why does the concept of a holy war not exist in current christian belief?
christians are more likely to use the power of argument rather than military strength
what is the best example of a holy war?
the crusades
what happened in the crusades?
-between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries
-authorised by various popes, who believed it to be God’s will
-were fought by christians who believed that if they died in battle they would go straight to heaven
-aimed to free jerusalem and the holy land from the control of the muslim turks
what did jesus teach about peace and violence?
it is much better to try to bring peace than to use violence
bible quote about peace
‘blessed are the peacemakers’
did early christians use violence?
no, they were pacifists
examples of christian pacifists
-martin of tours resigned from the army when he became a christian
-MLK, leader of the US civil rights movement during the twentieth century, refused to use violence
-the quakers promote pacifism and acted as stretcher-bearers in WWI
-after WWII, some catholics founded pax christi to try to reconcile war-torn countries
pope’s quote about radical pacifism
the church strives for peace but does not preach radical pacifism’
pacifist beliefs
-it’s always wrong to fight, even in self defence
-jesus taught that peace is better than violence
-sanctity of life
-war never solves problems
beliefs against pacifism
-force is sometimes necessary to solve disputes
-it’s the duty of a country to defend its peoples
-peace can only be built on mutual respect which is unlikely if one party isn’t prepared to defend itself
-a country that isn’t prepared to fight is seen as weak
-sometimes all negotiations fail and war is necessary to bring about justice or to defend against attack
what does the catholic church believe is important concerning war?
-prevent war
-help victims of war
the efforts of the pope
-in 2013, pope francis urged people to pray for peace in eastern ukraine, highlighting the number of civilian casualties
-in 2014, pope francis organised a meeting of prayer between the presidents of israel and palestine
- in 2014, pope francis organised a football match in rome’s olympic stadium to raise funds for children in need
terrorism
the unlawful use of violence, usually against innocent civilians
biblical opinions on terrorism
-catholic church opposes the use of terror in any situation
-paul’s command never to take vengeance suggests that violence and terrorism is always wrong
pope francis on terrorism
pope francis has said that it is wrong to carry out acts of terrorism in the name of God
what do some people think that terrorists are motivated by?
-religion
-they have a distorted and inaccurate view of the world and what God would want
when do some people think that torture is justified?
to get information to prevent a greater wrong
why do catholic oppose torture?
-catholics see it as always wrong and inhuman
-international law does not allow it even in war
-it is illegal
-it is barbaric
-it denies the victim their basic human rights
what is radicalisation?
adopting extreme views
why are catholics concerned about radicalisation?
the catholic church focuses on mutual respect & radicalisation can make people unwilling to accept any alternative views
where does radicalisation tend to take place?
among younger people who feel rejected by their society or religion
what is radicalisation seen as a threat to?
the unity and stability of society as it can potentially lead to terrorism
what is a martyr?
someone who dies for their faith
are suicide bombers seen as martyrs?
no
