We live in a world of armed conflict. Explain what differing Christian attitudes to armed conflict might be.

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We live in a world of armed conflict. Explain what differing Christian attitudes to armed conflict might be.

   There have been more than 127 wars since 1945.  In some areas of today’s world, there is nothing but violence.  The majority of the news on television is based on the events in Afghanistan and we will never forget the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington D.C. on the 11th of September 2001.  Justice has to be sought and then peace and respect will come about.  Every Christian should want peace and justice but many of these have different opinions and methods in how to achieve this.

  Christianity was founded on peace, emerging from it’s ethic of love.  Jesus said to his apostles ‘Peace be with you’ and we must put his words into action.  This peace must guide the destiny of humanity, if we do not find peace; destruction and evil will continue to spread.  Pope Paul VI said, ‘Never again war!  Peace must guide the destiny of the peoples and of all humanity’.  The Gaudium et Spes issued by the Second Vatican Council in 1965 states, ‘There will never be a truly human world for everyone until all devote themselves to peace’.  The Catholic Church also teaches that because war is a matter of human freedom, it is a moral question; there are circumstances in which war can be justified, just as there are circumstances in which war cannot be justified.  The decision about the justification of war is based on the basic principles of human dignity and respect for human life.  These, taken together, offer the basis for what is known as the Just War teaching.  Traditional Christian teaching presents these criteria for determining that entering a war is moral.  Other criteria must be observed if carrying on the war is moral.  What we do in the course of the war must be proportionate to the rights we are trying to defend.  This is the Just War Theory.  This was an attempt developed by St. Augustine to articulate the right to self-defence and its aim was to limit the occasions of war and the effects of war once it started.  Augustine distinguished between private morality, turning the other cheek, and social morality, protecting the common good.  There are a number of principles effecting the decision to go to war; the Jus Ad Bellum.  This is for the war to be a just cause and to confront a real and certain danger and not for gain or revenge.  This means that the war must be for a just cause, not for greed, revenge or power.  Our motivation at all times must be love. Those with responsibility for the public and authority must also declare the war.  The war cannot be declared by private groups or individuals and the proper authorities must affirm it.    During the conflict, the right intention must be acknowledged and this is the pursuit of peace and reconciliation, including avoiding unnecessarily destructive acts or imposing unconditional surrender.  For war to be justified, all peaceful alternatives must have been exhausted these include politics and sanctions.  The probability of success must also be considered and this should prevent any irrational resort to force.  However, even when you consider the doctrine of ‘The Just War’ we have to consider the consequences of war, some may be good, other will be bad.  The good would be that the just cause will occur but the bad would more destruction, increased insecurity and a great death toll.  St. Augustine said ‘All war, even a just war, is the result of sin’, so even if the is some good achieved, there will always be sin.  Augustine highlights the seriousness of war and even taking one life is serious.  

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  In 1992, the United Kingdom spent £23.5 billion on defence compared to £7.9 billion on education.  Many Christians question the basis for these decisions when our aim is ultimately to achieve peace and justice.  More money is spent on military weapons than on educating the future leaders of the world.  According to Trócaire in their report on November 2001, $800 billion was spent in the year 2000 on the arms industry, while $9 billion could eliminate starvation and malnutrition.  Many Christians find this shocking as the amount of money that could eliminate starvation and malnutrition was spent 90 ...

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