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
