Theme D Flashcards
Causes of war
- to protect/ liberate civilians
- self-defence
-to gain territory/ land
-to overthrow corrupt governments
-religious aim
Consequences of war
-loss of human life
-gain/loss of power
-economic gain/loss
-environmental damages
-liberation/freedom
Use of violence
-Cleansing of the Temple / righteous anger
- social justice - going to war to protect human rights of others
3 parts of Just War Theory
Jus Ad Bellum
Jus In Bellum
Jus Post Bellum
Evaluation of JWT /potential 4 marker
-JWT is an ideal
-good starting point as to whether a war is just or not
-although they are good guidelines, no one actually follows them
-governments are always able to justify war no matter what
4 different types of WMDs
- Nuclear weapons
- Biological warfare
- Chemical warfare
- Radiological weapons
Religious views on WMD’s:
-sanctity of life- effects of these weapons go against this belief / Vietnam (napalm)
- wars should be fought to gain justice for people / these weapons are unjust because they kill civilians
Negative argument for WMDs
-WMDs are unacceptable
-no religion agrees with their use
-they are seen as too extreme and uncontrollable
-they don’t fit with any holy war theories or any ideas of moral behaviour in war
-extreme amount of deaths
-1 trillion spent on them each year
Pax Christi
-commitment to justice and non violent actions
-want to get rid of nuclear weapons
Catholic beliefs about WMD’s
-all mass destruction goes against god
-nuclear weapons are completely unjustifiable
-go against sanctity of life
Quaker beliefs about WMD’s
-nuclear weapons are unholy in every sense and go against Quaker principles
-we should get rid of nuclear weapons to restore order from god
Reasons FOR war being justified
-defending innocent people
-fighting extremist ideology ( Nazis )
-most religions would if it followed the just war theory
-blessed are the peacemakers
-plenary indulgence
Reasons AGAINST war being justified
-“thou shall not murder”- clear bible instruction
-sanctity of life
-absolute pacifism
-mass destruction
2 examples of terrorist attacks
- 9/11, twin towers NYC
-2005 London Underground
3 factors that may contribute to a rise in terrorism
-may believe that they have no other option/path
-the chase they are fighting for is so important to them that it justifies any act
-may believe violence is the only way to force change
NSPCC
-UK’s leading children’s charity
-saving children from difficult situations and abuse
Educate against hate
-Protecting children against extremism and radicalisation
Church of England beliefs about terrorism
-to prevent radicalisation, there must be a promotion of greater understanding, reconciliation and respect in our communities - especially when we live in multi faith societies
-must strengthen our communities and love for all people
-we are each responsible for the state of the world and must act to make it better
Catholic beliefs about terrorism
-responding to terrorism can include violence but it must follows JWT
-use violence only after all other peaceful attempts have failed
-catechism: “terrorism is gravely against justice and charity”
-pope francis: “ the use of gods name to justify this oath is a deep sin”
Shared beliefs about terrorism
-terrorism is unjustifiable in any circumstances
-hatred, terror and violence are never appropriate ways to express your views
-terrorism never solves problems, it never makes the world a better place
Example of Holy War
Joshua takes over city of Jericho because god tells him to
Real life examples of why a Christian was participate in holy war
- a Christian joins the army to fight against and corrupt government in another country; he believes this is what god wants
-a Christian fights to free oppressed people because he believes it is his Christian duty to do so
Arguments in support of holy war
-Examples from the bible show God does sometimes support war such as Jericho
-Jesus used violence to overcome injustice in the Cleansing of the temple so perhaps Christian’s can do the same
-the bible tells Christian’s to stand up for those being persecuted: Isaiah 1:17 -“defend the oppressed”
-some Christian’s believe in “plenary indulgence”
Arguments against holy war
-sanctity of life- war is always wrong because human is life is lost when it should be protected
-Jesus was a pacifist and believed in forgiveness: Matthew 5:9 “blessed are the peacemakers”
-most of the bible is against violence and killing, including the sixth commandment
-god will never encourage war because he is omnibenevolent
Why do Christian’s support victims of war
-love thy neighbour/ do good to everyone- make it clear to Christian’s that they must care for others and is considered a basic Christian principle
-therefore they should care for everyone, even victims of war, no matter what ‘side’ they’re on
-the Good Samaritan
Caritas
-aim to support poor and promote charity and justice throughout the world
-2015, they provided food and shelter to refugees in Syria
-aligns with Christian values, helping innocents
Christian Aid
-help victims of war
-bring aid to end poverty
-helped in Gaza, Afghanistan, Syria
-helping everyone no matter what
What does the Good Samaritan teach
That it’s a Christian’s duty to help all people, even those on the other side of a war who may have committed crimes
Absolute pacifism is justifiable because…
-the sanctity of life
-10 commandments are clear - command comes straight from god
- god is omnibenevolent and would never want harm to come to his people
- Jesus said “blessed are the peacemakers” / Jesus is word of god, so must be true
Absolute pacifism is not justifiable because
-violence is needed to ensure peace (police needed to stop riot/self defence)
-AP is too simplistic, we live in a complex world with complex problems
-there are examples in bible of god condoning violence (cleansing of the temple, Jericho) therefore violence is sometimes righteous
-blessed are the peacemakers - violence is necessary for peace
How can a Christian work for peace
-donate to peace campaigns
-volunteer for a peace charity
-become street pastor for local community
-join a peaceful protest
-sign petitions for nuclear disarmament
-vote for political parties who are against nuclear weapons (greens)
Why is forgiveness important
-prevents a cycle of violence and revenge
-in the context of war, forgiveness can prevent future conflict
-as a Christian- if u forgive others, god with forgive you
-if you let go of a grudge and forgive, you’re letting go of hatred and anger
Argument for WMDS
Nuclear deterrence
Unstable governments (North Korea) so other countries may feel the need to protect themselves from these unstable government s
Arguments in support of violent protests
-cleansing of the temple - violence can be righteous
-Christian’s believe they should help liberate others from oppression
-defend the oppressed
-get media attention
-protests are slow, will take a while without violence
Arguments against violent protests
-sanctity of life
-absolute pacifists
-“blessed are the peacemakers”
-argument might be listened to more -come across as more stable and reliable
-rioting can lead to arresting
Examples of peaceful protest
-Martin Luther King bus boycott
-boycotting things you don’t want to take part in because u think it’s morally wrong
Examples of violent protests
-London riots 2011
-just stop oil
