Just WarAims: To look at the

conditions of a just war and to explore the idea that some

wars may be justified.

17th March

Why do people go to war?

What is a Just War?

St. Thomas Aquinas was a Christian Priest, Philosopher and Theologian who lived between 1225 and 1274.

He was the first person to give real substance to the idea of a ‘Just War’. Many Christians, Aquinas included, believed that in certain situations it was morally right for Christians to fight in a war.

What makes Aquinas so important is that he formulated conditions to help people work out whether a war was ‘Just’ or not. These conditions can be seen on the next slide.

The Word JusticeJustice is very important to Christians. Christians understand Justice to refer to the importance of treating people fairly and ensuring people are not exploited or discriminated against.

Jesus himself was very concerned with Justice and he spent a lot of time preaching that the poor and the marginalised should be cared for and not forgotten. Wars are often fought with exactly this aim in mind.

Aquinas

Conditions for a Just War:

1.1. The War must be started and controlled by the government.The War must be started and controlled by the government.2.2. There must be a just cause- a really good cause for the war.There must be a just cause- a really good cause for the war.3.3. There must be a right intention: To promote good or avoid There must be a right intention: To promote good or avoid

evil.evil.

Later other conditions were added:

4. The war must be the last resort.5. There must be proportionality in the way the war is fought.

Innocent people should not be killed and excessive force must be avoided.

6. A war should only take place if there is a chance of success. Troops should not be sent in to certain death.

7. A war should only occur if the good achieved will outweigh the evil leading to it.

Conditions of a just war

WW2 Iraq War

1. The War must be started and controlled by the government

It was fought by Germany and the Allied countries who were legal authorities

2. There must be a just cause- a really good cause for the war.

Germany was being attacked for invading other countries

3. There must be a right intention: To promote good or avoid evil.

The intention was to end the mass genocide and evil being committed.

4. The war must be the last resort. All forms of negotiation with Hitler and the Third Reich had failed

5. There must be proportionality in the way the war is fought. Innocent people should not be killed and excessive force must be avoided.

Most of the fighting was limited to the armies concerned and to harbours and munitions sites.However, actions such as the Allied bombing of Dresden, a two-day raid by almost 2,400 bombers, which destroyed the city and killed perhaps 135,000 civilians, to virtually no military purpose, certainly broke this condition

.

6. A war should only take place if there is a chance of success. Troops should not be sent in to certain death.

Allies felt that they had a reasonable chance of success.

7. A war should only occur if the good achieved will outweigh the evil leading to it.

The allied forces did win the war

The Bible and war

discussion• ‘it is impossible for any war to meet

all the rules of a “just war” ’

• “There is no such thing as a “just war” as all killing is wrong’

• ‘Freedom and justice are worth fighting for’

A Just War?

Compare conditions of a Just war with the conditions of Jihad

• It must be organized and controlled by a religious leader.

• It must have a just cause.

• It must be a last resort.

• There must be a minimum of suffering.

• Innocent civilians must not suffer.

• Trees, crops and animals should be protected.

• It must not be fought to gain territory or as an act of aggression.

• The aim should be to bring about good not evil.

• The War must be started The War must be started and controlled by the and controlled by the government.government.

• There must be a just There must be a just cause- a really good cause- a really good cause for the war.cause for the war.

• There must be a right There must be a right intention: To promote intention: To promote good or avoid evil.good or avoid evil.

• The war must be the last resort.

• There must be proportionality in the way the war is fought. Innocent people should not be killed and excessive force must be avoided.

• A war should only take place if there is a chance of success. Troops should not be sent in to certain death.

• A war should only occur if the good achieved will outweigh the evil leading to it.

Just

War Jih

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