Even if conventional war is acceptable in Catholic teaching, the possession and use of nuclear weapons could never be

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“Even if conventional war is acceptable in Catholic teaching, the possession and use of nuclear weapons could never be”

There are two obvious stances on this question.   The first is that nuclear war with its potential for continuing destruction and damage to future generations can never be acceptable.  The second is that which prevailed at the end of the second World War which was that it was acceptable in order to prevent further and prolonged mass destruction of both Japanese and European civilians and Army personnel in particular prisoners of war.  To some degree I tend to agree that it was acceptable at that time because the prolonged effects were unknown and they were unpredictable at that time.    However, in my opinion, as today we are aware of the consequences it is not acceptable.

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There are criteria for a ‘just ‘war which I think certainly should be applied in any context.   A ‘just’ war requires that the causes must be serious enough to justify the amount of killing and suffering which a war causes. In 1945 the prospect of the Japanese army fighting to the last man, slaughtering the POW’s they held, both Army and civilian,  and creating the possibility of  their own civilian population being exposed to the type of saturation bombing which had been experienced in Germany seemed to the Allies a sufficient justification for the use of nuclear weapons. ...

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