War and Peace

Question 1

What is the issue that prompted the creation of the Just War theory?

Answer 1

For the first 300 years of Christianity, it was a pacifist religion. War only became an issue when Constantine introduced it as the official religion of the Roman Empire. They had to justify the wars they fought

Question 2

jus ad bellum

Answer 2

going into war (reasons why)

Question 3

jus in bello

Answer 3

the ways you behave in war (your actions)

Question 4

jus post bellum

Answer 4

how you deal with after the war (only really affects the side that wins)

Question 5

what happened in the first Iraq war?

Answer 5

Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. The action was taken by the UN. On the face of it, it was a just war.

Question 6

what makes the first Iraq war more complicated?

Answer 6

It was really about oil. Kuwait made it so that Iraq didn’t have all the oil. Originally British colonies. Kuwait treats women awfully. Were both members of OPEC. Kuwait was deliberately defying Iraq by messing with the oil prices. Saudi Arabia only got to do stuff because of Britain - biggest ally

Question 7

what happened in 2nd Gulf war?

Answer 7

Britain and the USA claimed Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. Now we find out that Bush Jr and Blair misled people as there were no weapons of mass destruction

Question 8

in both iraq wars, what recognition was there?

Answer 8

at least there was a recognition that a just authority needed to approve

Question 9

Falklands War: jus in bello example

Answer 9

meeting to justify sinking of Belgrano, the Argentinian battleship in 1982

Question 10

what does Ninian Smart think about jus post bellum?

Answer 10

it never falls upon the losers of the war to justify why they went to war

Question 11

what issues were there after the 2nd Gulf War (jus post bellum)?

Answer 11

lack of preparation for what happened after, and Bush Jr and Blair are criticised for not planning what would happen

Question 12

what happened after ww2 (jus post bellum)?

Answer 12

US response: The Marshall Plan. Also the UN Declaration of Human Rights. BUT also founding of Israel and Eastern Block

Question 13

what is an example of a nuclear war?

Answer 13

has only ever been one: Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Question 14

how did Truman justify the nuclear war?

Answer 14

on the grounds that less people would die from the bombs than if the war was left to continue (utilitarian)

Question 15

how many times has the world got close to the same kind of nuclear war?

Answer 15

Cuban Missile Crisis (America threatened Russia), Arab-Israeli War (1973, USA proposed intervention and USSR said if you do we will nuke), Britain’s plan if they lost Falklands was to attack Argentina. 3 times

Question 16

what is the view vatican ii held on nuclear weapons

Answer 16

sin to unilaterally disarm, because you give advantage to those who are less moral

Question 17

what is the catholic church view now

Answer 17

it is better to live not free than to die free. it would only be good if everyone got rid of nuclear weapons

Question 18

when did Christianity stop being a minority religion

Answer 18

312CE, which was when Constantine became Christian.

Question 19

why was Christianity a pacifist religion before 312

Answer 19

the way Jesus behaves, says to put sword down etc. Paul says don’t rebel against political authority

Question 20

what would Langford say about Christians being pacifist

Answer 20

for pre-312CE church, fighting wasn’t an issue because they just didn’t

Question 21

when did Augustine live in relation to the expanding of christianity

Answer 21

just after the changes in 312. responded to this