Christianity

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  • Created by: IzzyCobb
  • Created on: 16-06-20 08:33

Religion, Peace and Conflict

Key Words:

War = Fighting between nations to resolve issues between them

Peace = An absence of conflict, which leads to happiness and harmony

Justice = Bringing about what is right and fair, according to the law or making up for a wrong that                    has been commited

Forgiveness = Showing grace and mercy and pardoning someone for what they have done wrong

Reconciliation = When individuals or groups restore friendly relationships after conflict or                                           disagreement

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A Just War

A Just War Is.......

A war which meets internationally accepted criteria for fairness;follows traditional christian rules  for a just war, and is now accepted by all religions.

Christians are usually against warbut there are some occasions when Christians would say that war is necessaryto achieve Justice

They have come up with a Just War Theory which lays out some important rules for when war is acceptable or unacceptable.

This is known as: As The Just War Theory

It has 6 main rules/criteria/conditions which the war must meet in order for it to be a ‘just war

If something is “just” then it is “right”. The first Christian to write about the morality of war was Saint Augustine in the 4th century. His ideas were developed by Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century.

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Just War Criteria

These are the 6 rules/criteria/conditions to the Just War Theory 

C = Cause: There must be a just cause to go to war e.g. self defence

L = Last: Going to war must be a last resort e.g. you must try negotiations and sanctions

I = Intentions: You must have the right intention to establish good and outweigh evil e.g. get rid of                          a dictator

P = Proper: There must be a proper authority who declears war e.g. The Queen

S =Success: You must have a responsible chance of success e.g you must be able to win

S = Sufficient: You can only use sufficient force to win e.g. no excess bombing 

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Christian Belief Of A Just War

Many Christians believe that although fighting a war is acceptable, it is much better if

there is no war, just or not.

Working together to avoid situations where a war is a possible outcome is preferable to

any fighting.

Some Christians do not believe in a Just War as it means war is acceptable with all the

death and destruction that comes with it.

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The Way A Just War Is Fought

The war must be fought by just means:    Innocent people and civilians are not to be targeted or      harmed

Appropriate force only:  This includes the type of force and how much is used

Internationally agreed conventions must be followed:  The Geneva Convention lays down rules that must be followed in war

The Geneva Convention are rules that apply only in times of armed conflict and seek to protect people who are not, or who are no longer taking part in hostilities; these include the sick and wounded of armed forces on the field, wounded, sick, and shipwrecked members of armed forces at sea, prisoners of war and civilians.

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