Warfare

• The Bible does not give Christians a clear answer about whether war is permitted or not
• War


  An organised conflict, usually consisting of intense violence carried out by one state or states against another state or states
• The Bible does not clearly answer questions about war and peace, but it gives Christians guidelines on how to work for peace and justice
• Causes of war


  • Attack or invade another state to gain territory or resources
  • Resist an attack or invasion by an aggressor
  • Protect another state from attack by an aggressor
  • Impose domination or political change on another state, or resist such domination
  • Challenge a threat to essential national interests by another state
  • Defend the national honour when under threat
• War can also occur internally within a state between organised groups, this is known as civil war
• Just war


  A war which is declared for right and noble reasons and fought in a certain way. It is a necessary evil and a last resort.
• Christianity is not a pacifist religion, although there are pacifists in most Christian denominations
• Most Christians would support a war if it were justified by just war standards
• Jus ad bellum


  The conditions against which to judge whether or not a war should be waged
• Jus in bello


  The conditions against which to judge if a war could be justified, and how it should be waged
• Aquinas's conditions for a just war - jus ad bellum

  • The war must have a just cause - eg against invasion or for self-defence - and not to acquire wealth or power
  • The war must be declared and controlled by a proper authority, eg the state or ruler
  • The war must be fought to promote good or avoid evil, with the aim of restoring peace and justice after the war is over
• Later conditions developed by other Christians - jus in bello

  • The war must be a last resort when all peaceful solutions have been tried and failed, eg negotiation
  • The war should be fought with proportionality. There should be just enough force to achieve victory over legitimate targets, ie civilians should be protected
  • The good which is achieved by the war must be greater than the evil which led to the war
• The just war theory, with some amendments, is still used by Christians and others today as a guide to whether or not a war can be justified
• Weapons of mass destruction (WMDs)

  Weapons, including nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, that have a widespread and indiscriminate impact
• In 1945 the first nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. This one small bomb killed about 150,000 people within the first four months.
• A second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki nine days later and Japan surrendered, ending World War Two.
• Since then, no power has used a nuclear bomb in war, though many tests have been carried out on them.
• The smallest nuclear bomb now produced is about 20 times more powerful than the one dropped on Hiroshima.
• Arguments for nuclear weapons

  • The possession of nuclear weapons has kept the major world powers from coming to war since 1955 due to fear of 'mutually assured destruction'
  • It is preferable for the major powers to have these bombs for deterrence than for an unstable dictator to use them in war

  
• Arguments against nuclear weapons


  • Their destructive power is immense and long lasting. Even countries that have nothing to do with the war will be badly affected
  • They are very costly to develop and maintain. The money could be spent on raising everybody's quality of life
  • There is no effective protection against them, nor can people control who has access to them

  
• Costs of war


  • Death and destruction
  • Displaced people
  • Economic cost
  • Environmental damage
  • Psychological effects
  • Impact on tourism
• The United Nations was set up in 1945 after World War Two. It currently consists of 193 member states, including the UK.
• The aim of the United Nations is to reduce the chance of wars happening and to help resolve issues before a declaration of war is felt necessary.
• Main casualties of war

  • Servicemen and women who lose their lives or are injured
  • Civilians who lose their lives or are injured
  • Civilians who have their families, homes and way of life damaged or destroyed
  • A country's infrastructure, eg roads and bridges which are destroyed
  • Refugees who have to flee their country of birth to find safety
• Middle Eastern countries are no longer popular tourist destinations due to war and conflict
• United Nations


  Set up in 1945 after World War Two, currently consists of 193 member states including the UK, designed to stop wars between countries and provide a meeting place where countries could discuss their problems and hopefully come to an agreement
• Main casualties of war

  • Servicemen and women who lose their lives or are injured
  • Civilians who lose their lives or are injured
  • Civilians who have their families, homes and way of life damaged or destroyed
  • A country's infrastructure, eg roads and bridges which are destroyed
  • Refugees who have to flee their country of birth to find safety
• Refugee


  A person who is forced to flee from his or her country because of intolerable living conditions, often the result of persecution, war or other violence
• Refugees are protected by international humanitarian law when they are in a state involved in an armed conflict. They must not be returned to situations where their life and freedom are at risk
• Child soldiers


  International law prohibits young people under the age of 18 taking part in armed conflict, and the use of children under the age of 15 is considered a war crime. However, throughout the world tens of thousands of children – some as young as 9 or 10 years old – are given weapons and forced to fight for government armed forces or paramilitaries
• The United Nations defines child soldiers as 'children associated with armed forces and groups', or 'CAAFAG' for short. Not all children have armed roles in these groups, so referring to them as 'child soldiers' isn't always accurate as they may be used in any capacity - including as spies, messengers, porters, servants or for sexual purposes
• During the past 60 years the main victims of war have been civilians. Civilians are often caught in the crossfire or killed in bombings simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. With infrastructure destroyed, many people die through illness due to lack of clean water or food. Others become traumatised because of the atrocities they have witnessed and may suffer from long term mental illness
• Civilians are protected during armed conflict by international humanitarian law. They should be shielded from all forms of violence and degrading treatment, including murder and torture
• Pacifism


  The belief that war and violence are never justified
• Bible teaching on war and peace

  • In the Old Testament, there are numerous references to wars sanctioned by God, indicating that war is unavoidable, and there will be times when God decides that a war must be fought
  • In the New Testament, Jesus gives a different message through his teaching and example, although not all Christians are pacifists, all Christians want peace
  • Jesus replaced the Jewish principle of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" with a higher standard – that violence should never be returned, and his followers should go one step further and return violence with love
  • Some Christians are pacifists and believe that war is never justified
• Holy war


  A war 'on behalf of God', developed at a time when the Christian Church was becoming increasingly politically powerful, the Crusades are the most famous examples, resulting in many atrocities being carried out in the name of God
• The concept of holy war is rejected by all mainstream Christian Churches today
• How Christians help victims of war

  • CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development) helps rehabilitate child soldiers, attempts to bring together warring groups, and provides refugees with emergency aid
• Pacifism in Christianity


  Pacifists reject all violence and do not think that conflict should be dealt with by resorting to war, they think that other peaceful methods should be used. The early Christians interpreted Jesus' commandments to mean that they could not fight in wars or be violent. Pacifists also use the teaching in the Ten Commandments to justify their position
• Pacifist Christian groups


  • Mennonites, Amish, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)