*theme D - religion, peace & conflict Flashcards
how is war presented in the Bible?
- Old Testament portrays God as being wrathful & vengeful
- the ancient Israelites often went to war carrying the Ark of the Covenant into battle to help them
- 10 commandments strictly forbid people from killing each other - however, this generally understood to mean ‘do not commit murder’
what were Jesus’ teachings about violence?
- Sermon of the Mount: tells his disciples they must offer no resistance or retaliation towards their enemies
- “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9
- “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too.” Matthew 5:39
- when Jesus arrested, one of disciples cut ear off one of the guards, he said that those who live by the sword shall themselves die by the sword (Matthew 26:52)
what was St Augustine’s Just War Theory?
- Emperor Constantine made Christianity religion of Roman Empire; Christians began to question their responsibility towards the state
- St Augustine thought it was right to go to war if it was to defend the innocent
what were the criteria for St Thomas Aquinas’ Just War Theory in the 13th century?
- war should be declared by the proper authority
- there should be a good reason for going to war
- the reason for going to war must be to do good
- war must be the last resort
- has to be proven that the war will produce more good than evil
- it must be possible to win
- the amount of force must not be too excessive
what were the Crusades?
- military expeditions undertaken by Christians between 1095 and 1270 to recover the Holy Lands from Muslim control
- name crusade comes from Latin meaning “cross”; Crusaders used the cross as an emblem of their cause
- crusaders thought they were doing the will of God (Deus Vult)
what are the criteria for the modern form of Just War Theory?
- going to war must be in defence after an unjust attack
- there must be a realistic chance of success
- the cost of rebuilding the country after the war should be taken into account
- only military targets should be attacked, not civilians
- the force used should be for a good reason
what do Pacifists believe?
- some Christians have always held that armed conflict is wrong & can never be justified
- they take Jesus’ words literally when he said “if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek also”
what do Quakers (The Society of Friends) believe?
- war can never be justified
- evil can never be overcome by weapons which harm and kill
who are 2 notable pacifists?
Donald Soper and Bruce Kent
what did Donald Soper do?
- notable pacifist
- Methodist minister who spoke out against use of armed aggression
- banned from speaking on radio during WWII
- devoted much of his life to preaching from a soap box on Hyde Park corner
what did Bruce Kent do?
- notable pacifist
- former RC Priest, Monsignor Bruce Kent became General Secretary of CND (the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament)
- spoke out against British gov’s nuclear weapon programme during the 1980s
what do Christians believe about non-violent protest?
- some believe non-violence is best response to aggression
- Martin Luther King was inspired by Mahatma Ghandi
- believed it was wrong to use violence against racism
- used speeches, boycotts, sit-ins & other forms of peaceful protest
what did Dietrich Bonhoeffer do (non-passive resistance)?
- he was a German Lutheran minister who was involved in a plot to assassinate Hitler
- believed it was his Christian duty to use force against an evil regime
- was caught by Nazis & hung for treason at Flossenburg in 1945
what do nuclear weapons do?
harness the power of the atom and some radioactive substances to achieve destruction on an enormous scale
why might some people support nuclear weapons?
- in an extreme emergency
- as retaliation against another nuclear strike - also known as nuclear deterrence
- if they might save more lives overall
why might some people not support/use nuclear weapons?
- indiscriminate - hard to target so goes against sanctity of life, and harms innocents
- radioactivity can cause damage lasting decades
- accidents & tests v damaging to environment
- hard to justify under ‘just war’ criteria
what does peace mean?
an absence of violence: many people believe they should work for peace, sometimes for religious reasons
what does justice mean?
fairness, what is deserved or right: many people believe that justice should be done, though some feel that mercy (being lenient) is sometimes better
what does forgiveness mean?
letting go of bad feelings towards someone who has caused pain: some people, especially religious people, believe they should forgive others; others say some things can’t be forgiven
what does reconciliation mean?
being reunited in a positive sense w someone one was separated from: many work for reconciliation of conflict, though some believe this isn’t possible and/or desirable
what is the argument for WMDs?
they act as a deterrent
what are the arguments against WMDs?
- Christianity & Islam suggest that they go beyond defence & promoting faith, or giving victims a fair chance
- chance that terrorists might use them
- “love your neighbour as yourself” Matthew 22
what do Muslims believe about war?
- “Islam” means peace
- Muslim attitudes to war & peace are based on Qur’an
- Islam is religion of peace in which fighting & war are seen only as a last resort
- violence permitted in cases of self-defence
why isn’t Jihad for/pro war?
- must be remembered that “Jihad” means “to struggle” & isn’t associated w violence in Qur’an
- for a Muslim this struggle might be living out their faith
- when Jihad first entered common usage as term associated w warfare, was during the Crusades as a response to aggression, & contained some strict rules
- modern “Jihadist” principles rarely reflect these ideals
- martyrdom & suicide bombing have only existed since 1970s in bitter war between Iran (Shi’a) & Iraq (Sunni); there are no examples in ‘classical’ Islam
