Theme D GCSE Flashcards
discuss murder
murder in all countries is against the law, yet in war it is considered to be acceptable
The Christian church speaks out against killing and Jesus’ teachings do not support it and there are some who try to prevent it all together such as the Quakers
what are Christians four main beliefs towards war
peace, justice, forgiveness and reconciliation
define justice
the ultimate judge will establish justice between nations and settle disputes. Justice is linked with equality often and if people are not given the same opportunities this is unfair and unjust which may lead to conflict
define peace
the absence of war
the intention of fighting in war is to create peace when its over
it also a feeling
in the OT the prophet Isaiah looks forwards to a time when God will bring peace
define forgiveness
this is important to live peacefully
Christians believe god sets the example regarding forgiveness by offering forgiveness himself to all who ask for it in faith
once a wrong is righted forgiveness should follow
define reconciliation
this follows conflict
this is more than just apologising and involves a conscious effort to rebuild a relationship
give a quote about reconciliation, forgiveness, peace and justice
‘he will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many people. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore’ (Isaiah 2:4) OT
discuss protest
- the right to protest is considered a fundamental democratic freedom
- if a protest involves a march or procession, the police must be told at least six days before it takes place
- an example is the civil rights movement led by Dr Martin Luther King Jr (a Christian) who organised peaceful rallies to protest racial and social inequalities
discuss religious attitudes to violence
no religion promotes violence in their teachings and all are generally agreed that conflict should be avoided if possible
discuss violent protests/terrorism
- a violent protest is terrorism
- an individual or group who share certain beliefs use terror as part of their campaign to further their cause
- the violence usually deliberate targets civilians and takes place in public
- suicide bombers, car bombs, gunmen shooting crowds
- this means the rest of society will become aware of their cause and fear them and the authorities might be pushed into giving way to their demands
- A terrorist might associate their cause with a religion but no religion promotes terrorism
what did Tony Blair Former UK Prime Minister say about terrorism
the purpose of terrorism lies not just in the violent act itself. it is in producing terror. it sets out to inflame, to divide, to produce consequences which terrorists then use to justify terror
discuss the UK’s involvement in war
whenever the UK is involved in war both full-time and volunteer personal are called upon to fight
during the first and second world war the need for fighters was so great that people were ordered to fight for their country
state the three main reasons for war
greed
self-defence
retaliation
discuss greed as a reason for war
- war has been used as a way to gain more land or territory or regain land lost previously
- countries want to control important resources such as oil
- rich and powerful countries then become richer and more powerful potentially causing poverty elsewhere
- Christianity is against greed
discuss self defence as a reason for war
- Christians agree with it
- most people consider fighting in self-defence morally acceptable
- they have a right to defend their values, beliefs and way of life
- they believe it is acceptable to fight to defend other nations under threat
discuss retaliation as a reason for war
- sometimes fought in retaliation against a country that is seen to have done wrong
- Jesus taught Christians not to retaliate but some Christians find this difficult in situations of war
- invasion of Afghanistan after 9/11 is an example of retaliation
give two quotes about greed, retaliation and self-defence as reasons for war
for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs - 1 Timothy 6:10
do not repay anyone evil for evil… if it is possible as far as it depends on you live at peace with everyone Romans 12:17
discuss the use of nuclear weapons in a general sense
- An atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan by the US forces killing around 60,000 people during the second world war
- the death toll later rose to around 140,000 as many died from radiation
wealthier countries including the UK have researched and developed more powerful nuclear weapons. There are enough to completely destroy the world we live in several times over
why do some people agree with having nuclear weapons
Catholics accept them as a deterrence
people say they prevent wars due to fear of consequence and this would be evidenced by some in the relative peace within Europe since the Second Wold War
what is the Christian view of nuclear weapons
- Only God has the authority to end the life hat he created
- One of the ten commandments -‘You shall not murder’ (Exodus 20:13)
- The use of nuclear weapons would kill large numbers of innocent civilians which cannot be justified
what are the two types of WMD’s
chemical weapons:
contain lethal chemicals that when released cause many deaths. In 1993, the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) made the production, stockpiling and use of these chemicals illegal worldwide. However it’s believed they have been used in countries such as Syria and Iraq
Biological weapons:
introduce harmful bacteria and viruses into the atmosphere. If they enter the food chain or water supplies they can cause illness and death on a massive scale. they are also illegal
what is the CCND
Christian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament supports the aim to rid the world of nuclear weapons in the 21st century
discuss WMD’s in general
the general rules of war allow military personnel to be valid targets for these weapons but civilians however are no threat so they should be protected
some people justify war by using the following quote: ‘If there is a serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth….’ Exodus 21:23-24
however Jesus taught the use of violence is wrong and the eye for eye quote has been misinterpreted to allow revenge and this is wrong as Jesus was a pacifist and taught against the use of violence and therefore Christians believe the use of WMD’s are wrong
what is the Just War criteria
- must have a just cause such as self-defence or defending others. It cannot be to gain territory or resources or retaliation
- must be declared by the correct authority either the government or lawful rulers
- must have an intention to defeat wrongdoing and promote good - the good achieved by the war must outweigh the evil that led to it
- must be a last resort and all other ways of resolving the issue and attempting diplomacy must have been attempted
- must be a reasonable chance of success - it is unjust to ask people to fight for a war that is likely to be lost and they will be killed
- must use proportional methods to fight the war - excessive force should not be used
how should a just war be fought
- must be fought by just mean - innocent civilians must not be harmed
- appropriate force used only
- internationally agreed conventions on the conduct of the war must be obeyed (the Geneva convention accepted by the UK in 1957 lays down these specific laws)
what did Thomas Aquinas say about the just war theory
the just war theory lays out conditions under which fighting a war is justifiable and provides rules on how the war must be fought to ensure it is ethical
what do Christians think about the just war theory
- Christians believe fighting in a just war is acceptable but would rather there be no war at all
- The United Nations found in 1945 encourages countries to resolve disputes peacefully
- Some Christian disagree with the just war theory because it defends to concept of war which could lead to a general acceptance of war
- think its acceptable if all 6 criteria points are met
what is a holy war
- fighting for a religious cause or for god
- In the Crusades both sides believed God was helping them to win
- Must be authorised by a religious leader with great authority
- the purpose is to defend the Christian faith from attack
- people who take part will gain spiritual rewards (heaven)
- if they die in battle they will go straight to heaven
what do Christians think about the holy war theory
most Christians think it is wrong because it is a choice to fight and it goes against the sanctity of life and ‘do not kill’
it isn’t self-defence
Christians can stand up to their faith using the power of argument rather than physical force
Christians don’t see the need to respond violently to anything they deem offensive to their faith
discuss religion as a cause of violence in the UK
- Christians do not see the need to respond violently to anything they deem offensive to their faith
- Christians do not approve such attacks but they believe in Christian teachings that reinforce not encouraging violence
- some incidents between Protestants and Catholics from 1968-1998 known as the ‘Troubles’ are considered by many to be political rather than religious
discuss Christian beliefs about war and violence
- they believe ‘eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth’ was misinterpreted to mean revenge is acceptable. At the time of being written if someone did something wrong punishable action would be towards them but also towards their families or tribes. This teaching suggested only the offenders should be punished not a large group of people who are innocent.
- Jesus taught the use of violence is not justified at all
give a quote about not using violence
put your sword back in its place, Jesus said for all who draw the sword die by the sword.
Mathew 26:52 NT
what is a pacifist
a person, religious or not who believes that war and violence can rarely or never be justified and that conflicts should be settled in a peaceful way
believe it is best to work at preventing war from happening by promoting justice and human rights
believe peace is not just an absence of war it I a sense of wellbeing and security
how do Christians believe we can bring about peace
- religious faith
- prayer
- meditation
- following the way of Jesus
give a quote about peace
‘blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God’
Mathew 5:9 NT
discuss conscientious objectors
In the first and second world war some people refused to fight and they were called conscientious objectors
people who refused to fight helped in non-combat ways like as doctors, nurses, cooks and mechanics etc.
these jobs were also dangerous and many were killed but they died knowing they had not been involved in the killing of others
what is the friends ambulance unit
founded by the Quakers
they did the volunteer jobs in the world wars to support people but would not fight
who are the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship
around 1400 members in over 40 countries. Founded the week of prayer for world peace in 1974. produce newsletters and organise peace-related events to raise awareness of pacifism
discuss victims of war
casualties in a war are unavoidable not just to those directly involved but their family and friends also. Also the surrounding areas - if crops are destroyed people may starve, if a workplace is destroyed then people cannot earn a wage
UK - financial systems in place to support those killed or injured such as free healthcare, counselling etc. Charities such as help for hero’s are established to support them also
why do Christians support victims of war
Christians support victims of war because Jesus taught ‘love thy neighbour as yourself’ (Mark 12:31)
this is reinforced by the Parable of the Good Samaritan
what is Caritas (Catholic)
- mission is to serve poor, promote charity and justice across world
- provide a practical response to those suffering and help relieve suffering
- In 2015 they supplied food and shelter for refugees fleeing war in Syria
- provided translators and legal services so refuges knew rights and options they had
what is Christian aid
- set up 1940’s
- bring aid to end poverty whatever cause or circumstance
- slogan is we believe in life before death
- work to establish human rights and fairness in society
- they have recently raised awareness of refugees in and from Gaza, Syria and Afghanistan
- Christian aid week in may
