Theme D Flashcards
What is peace?
the opposite of war; harmony between all in society
What is justice?
fairness; working to fix an unfair situation
What is forgiveness?
letting go of blame against a person for wrongs they have done; moving on
What is reconciliation?
making up and rebuilding relationships between two groups/sides after a disagreement
Give two religious teachings about peace, justice, forgiveness, and reconciliation
Some passages of the Old Testament teach that revenge is acceptable e.g. “an eye for an eye” / However Jesus makes it clear this rule no longer applies by saying “Turn the other cheek” / Jesus also taught that “Those who live by the sword die by the sword” / Buddhists consider it important to speak out against injustice due to Right Speech / Karma reminds Buddhists that justice will always be served so they should not take revenge into their own hands
Give an example of why someone might take part in a violent protest
Because they believe they will not be listened to otherwise / because it is necessary to damage infrastructure or bring things to a halt e.g. Nelson Mandela / If the lives of others are being threatened, violent protest could be seen as a proportionate response
Give two reasons why most religions reject violent protest
Jesus taught “those who live by the sword die by the sword”, showing that any form of violence is unwise / Quakers are fully pacifist and would argue violence is never acceptable as a form of protest / Almost all Buddhists disagree with violent protest and favour a non-violent resistance
Who are terrorist acts targeting?
Ordinary civilians
Why do people commit terrorist acts?
They have been radicalised / They believe there is no other way of achieving their goals / They believe their cause is good and justifies the act / They believe civilians are complicit in evil and deserve the harm that comes to them
Give two reasons why religious believers are opposed to terrorism
Jesus teaches his followers to “love your enemy” so it is not acceptable to bring harm to anyone / Buddhism teaches “no harm” (ahimsa) as its first precept
What are the main reasons people go to war?
Greed (e.g. to control another country’s resources/expand), self-defence (e.g. a country is being attacked), retaliation (e.g. a country has been wronged and though no longer in danger, declares war in revenge)
What is Just War Theory?
A theory, often religious, which explains when it is justified to go to war, and what sort of acts are justified in war.
What are the six conditions of St Thomas Aquinas’s Just War Theory?
- Must be started by a ruling authority
- Must be fought to promote good over evil
- Must have peace as its goal
- Must be the final resort after all other attempts have been made to resolve peacefully
- Must be fought with a reasonable chance of winning
- Must make every effort to avoid civilian deaths (no direct targeting, no more force than necessary)
What is generally considered to be a just reason for starting a war?
Self-defence e.g. World War Two
What is generally considered to be an unjust reason for starting a war?
Greed
Give two reasons why religious believers might support having nuclear weapons
They agree with secular arguments around nuclear deterrence / They believe states which are vulnerable should be able to defend themselves / They recognise that nuclear weapons brought an end to World War Two
Give two reasons why religious believers may not support having nuclear weapons
They believe that although World War Two was a just war, the use of nuclear weapons by the Americans was not just / They believe deterrence is not effective because people can still make mistakes or rash decisions / Religious leaders such as Pope Francis and the Dalai Lama believe in nuclear disarmament (getting rid of nuclear weapons altogether)
Give an example of a Holy War
The Crusades - Medieval Christians against Muslims for control of the Holy Land
Give two religious teachings that could be used in support of war
Most Christians accept Just War Theory so would agree that war is sometimes justified / The Old Testament teaches “Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy” / Some religious believers would say that Holy War is a reason to go to war
Give two reasons religious believers would not support war
Many religions are pacifist, e.g. Quakerism (a denomination of Christianity) and Buddhism / Jesus taught “love your enemies” / Due to nuclear weapons, there is now a risk that any word could escalate into a nuclear conflict
Give two examples of religious pacifists
Dietrich Bonhoeffer - Christian pacifist
The Dalai Lama - Buddhist pacifist
Give two reasons religious people might become pacifists
They might believe they can do more good in peacemaking roles e.g. Quakers who become medics in war / Jesus taught “blessed are the peacemakers” / The Dalai Lama has taught that paying more attention to inner peace will lead to peace between nations
Give three ways someone could be a victim of war
Physical injury (e.g. wounded in a bombing campaign)
Psychological injury (e.g. PTSD, grief)
Impacted by other factors e.g. economy, food rationing, refugee status, etc.
Give three ways religious believers might help victims of war
Supporting charities and reconstruction / Offering prayer / Offering counselling / Working with peacemaking organisations e.g. CPT and BPF
Give an example of a Christian peacemaking organisation and a conflict is has been involved with
Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT)
- members from different denominations
- works in conflict zones
- currently working to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza
Give an example of a Buddhist peacemaking organisation and a conflict is has been involved with
The Buddhist Peace Fellowship (BPF)
- Set up by American Zen Buddhists
- Applies Buddhist teachings to help victims of war
- Involved in human rights efforts in Buddhist countries such as Vietnam
What is terrorism?
Use of violence and threats to intimidate others; used for political purposes to build fear in the ordinary population and to secure demands from Government
What are weapons of mass destruction?
Weapons which cause widespread, indiscriminate damage (e.g. nuclear, chemical, biological)
What is nuclear deterrence?
Having nuclear weapons with the aim of deterring/preventing other states attacking for fear of retaliation and nuclear war (possibly leading to Mutually Assured Destruction)
What are nuclear weapons?
A weapon of mass destruction which causes widespread damage and loss of life. Nuclear war would be a war fought using these weapons.
What is Holy War?
War that is believed to be sanctioned by God
What is pacifism?
Belief that all violence is wrong, which then affects all behaviours
