Christians and War: Three Viewpoints

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Christians and WarThree Viewpoints

• Holy War
• A crusade of Good against Evil
• Just (justifiable) War
• Limited war that is tragic but necessary for the
  cause of justice, freedom, and peace
• Pacifism
• Nonviolent love

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Christians and WarThree Viewpoints

• Common Ground
• Holy War and Just War God occasionally calls
  His people to kill enemies
• Just War and Pacifism Initial instinct against
  violence
• Holy War and Pacifism Clear biblical examples

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Christians and WarThree Viewpoints

• Common Ground
• All three agree that nothing is worth living for
  that is not worth dying for
• All three agree that courage is necessary if one
  wishes to follow God faithfully
• All three value sacrifice
• All three believe that Christians should love
  their enemies

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Christians and WarThree Viewpoints

• Christian responses to war are not about
  positions
• No Christian has a stake in defending any
  position in and of itself
• Christian responses to war are about faithful
  discipleship

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JUST WAR

• Limited war that is tragic but necessary for the
  cause of justice, freedom, and peace
• Primary advocates
• Augustine of Hippo (354430 AD)
• Thomas Aquinas (12251274 AD)
• History
• Constantine (306337 AD) Christianized the Empire

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JUST WAR

• The Theory
• Humans are obligated not to act out of selfish
  desire (individuals turn the other cheek)
• Humans have a duty to act out of the desire to
  help other people
• In order to love the innocent and protect
  victims, killing is occasionally necessary
• Governments have a divine calling to restore
  justice, freedom, and peace
• War is, at times, a lesser of two evilsthough it
  remains a tragedy

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JUST WAR

• Scriptural Justification
• If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn
  the other also. Matthew 539
• Love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew
  2239
• Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be
  called children of God. Matthew 59

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JUST WAR

• Scriptural Justification
• Let every person be subject to the governing
  authorities for there is no authority except
  from God, and those authorities that exist have
  been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists
  authority resists what God has appointed. . . .
  The authority is Gods servant for your good .
  . . The authority does not bear the sword in
  vain. It is the servant of God to execute wrath
  on the wrongdoer. Romans 131-2, 4

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JUST WAR

• Scriptural Justification
• Soldiers asked him, And we, what should we do?
  He John the Baptist said to them, Do not
  extort money from anyone by threats or false
  accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.
  Luke 314

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JUST WAR

• Just War Criteria
• War is distinguishable from murder and massacre
  only when restrictions are established.
• The presence of one of the criteria does not make
  a war just the absence of one makes it unjust.
• Lists have varied throughout history the
  following lists are generally agreed upon both
  across borders and across time.

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JUST WAR

• Just-War Criteria
• Reasons for war
• Justifiable cause
• Defend a just political order restore rights
  protect the innocent
• Legitimate authority
• Last resort
• Declaration of war aims
• Proportionality
• Negative effects of war must not exceed the
  positive results
• Reasonable chance of success
• Right intention

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JUST WAR

• Just-War Criteria
• Justifiable means in war
• Discrimination
• Noncombatants civilians, civil officials,
  prisoners, servants of combatants (medical
  personnel, chaplains)
• Discrimination hinges upon ones role, not ones
  loyalty
• Intentional attacks and unintentional side
  effects are distinguished (judged by likelihood
  of civilian casualties and the effort used to
  avoid harming noncombatants)
• Direct attack only (even if indirect attacks
  shorten the war and seemingly saves lives)
• Proportionality
• Attack effectively with the least possible
  destruction
• Limited by discrimination

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JUST WAR

• Strengths of Just War
• Recognizes the persistence of conflict among
  people, especially in international politics
  (there will always be war)
• Takes seriously the moral perplexity of war (war
  is not a battle of good versus evil)
• Considers moral issues both before and throughout
  the war
• Seeks to protect rights and virtues

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JUST WAR

• I say to you, Love your enemies. Jesus
• The way in which one opposes injustice is to be
  shaped by the inner spirit of love and the
  circumstances of injustice

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JUST WAR

• When choice must be made between the perpetrator
  of injustice and the many victims of it, the
  latter may and should be preferred. What do you
  think Jesus would have made the Samaritan do if
  he had come upon the scene while the robbers were
  at their fell work? Love bids us to interpose
  ourselves between oppressor and oppressed, even
  if it requires the use of armed
  force. Paul Ramsey, The Just War

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JUST WAR

• In Response to Holy War
• All people are created in the image of God and
  therefore never beyond redemption
• Ones neighbors include ones enemies
• The command to love ones neighbor is satisfied
  when injustice is checked
• War is a tragedy meant to restrain injustice and
  protect innocence, not perpetuate killing

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JUST WAR

• In Response to Pacifism
• Sin reigns in this world realism demands action,
  occasionally violent action
• The churchs responsibility and the
  responsibility of the State are two different
  things
• If we always refrain from violent resistance, we
  shall have refused to accept our responsibility
• Pacifism fails to demonstrate love towards
  innocent victims

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JUST WAR

• In Response to War with Iraq
• Our cause is just, and it continues.
  President Bush, State of the Union Address
• If definitive proof of a first strike is offered
  . . .
• If all nonviolent means have been exhausted . . .
• As long as the war is not for political reasons
  (i.e., to demonstrate resolve and strength send
  a warning etc.) . . .
• Then a limited war is justifiable