Theme D Peace and Conflict

Christainity, Islam and Judaism all encourage believers to work towards achieving peace in the world

Many oragnsiation, such as the United Nations, work to find a peaceful solutio to disputtes and end all wars all over the world.

pacifism: the belief of people who refuse to take part in war any other form of violence. pacifists think that wars can never be justified  they refuse to fight. killing is against their conscience

Why might Chritians be pacifists?

• Christian leaders said that Christians should not fight in wars
• Jesus said that you should 'love your enemies'
• Peace will only come if people refuse to fight in wars
• Ten commandments - 'Thou shalt not kill'
• Jesus said: 'Blessed are the peacemakers'
• Jesus stopped Peter from using violence when soldiers arrested him - 'all who live by the sword will die by the sword'
• During WW2 Christian groups like the Quakers were pacifist

Violence has many forms

• Crime is a source of violence, e.g. assult or murder
• Terrorism Is a group/person deliberately seeking to cause fear or inflect suffering through violence - 9/11 worst terrorist attack in history
• Wars

Wars, many causing including

• Religion
• Self defence - started to combat a threat from another country
• Tribalism - group fighting for own independent state
• Honour - to defend honor & digity of a country
• Economic - acts of agression without provocation to gain terrority or goods
• Retaliation - started in revenge for something e.g. WW2

A just war is fought because of a justifiable reason and countries must display how it is just and right

Conditions are for it are to:

Be started and controlled by authority of state

Those attacked deserve it

War promotes good and avoids evil

Be the last resort

Innocent civilians should not be killed

Peace must be restored

A holy war acts to protect the religion of the people involved 

An example of this is the crusades

Holy wars have three main things:

• the achievement of a religious goal
• authorised by a religious leader
• a spiritual reward for those who take part

Most Christians believe that war should try to be avoided and should only be used as a last resort

Promises in the old testament such as 'nation shall not lift up sword to nation' suggests war will come to an end in the kingdom of God

St Paul also says to support the state and some Christians use this to fight for their countries in war

Some Christian believe war is not justifiable and they are pacifists

The concept of holy war is now rejected by most mainstream Christians

The sanctity of life suggests that people should always be protected so peaceful methods are the best - however war can be justified if it protects against injustice

Most Churches say that Christians can fight in a war if:

• the cause of war is just
• the war is fought on behalf of an authority, e.g government
• war is the last resort
• the intention is to gain peace
• there is a chance of success
• methods used should avoid killing innocent civilians
• methods used must be proportional to the cause

Jesus was never against soliders, because they protect the innocent. Also Jesus said that you should obey the government, 'give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's' - so if the government declares war then people should fight.

Muslims have strict rules to follow in war:

• It must be fought in a just cause
• It must be the last resort
• It must be led by a Muslim authority
• It must cause the minimum suffering
• Innocent people must not be attacked
• It must end as soon as the enemy lays down his arms

Muslims believe that the Qur'an says that Muslims must fights if they are attacked (so in self-defence)

The Qur'an asks Muslims to struggle in the name of Islam (called Jihad)

• greater jihad = struggling with yourself and your desires
• lesser jihad = war 'fight in the cause of God' 

A nuclear weapon causes intense temperature and can harm and kill civilians and cause places to remain unhabitable.  Chemical & Biological weapons ae banned by international law

There are agruments for possessing nuclear weapons

For - 

Protection against other people (mutually assured destruction)

It is preferable for trusted countries to have them for deterrence rather than for attack by a dictator

Against - 

When used they have a big destructive power, loss of life

Very costly to produce

There is no effective protection against them and distracts against peace

Many religions believe in the sanctity of life

Christian Views

• Some Christian use Jesus's teaching about peace to argue against nuclear weapons. All Christian denominations are against using them
• However, some think nuclear weapons help keep the peace as countres are afraid to start a nuclear war

Muslim views

• many muslims are against WMD as they don't follow the lesser jihad, innocent people would get hurt or killed
• Pakistan has nuclear weapons, but amy other Muslim countries have come out abot possessing WMDs

Jewish view

• Talmud state if something will inflict harm on over a sxith of popultaion - it s not allowed
• Many Jews thinks actually usng WMD can't be justified because of scale of damage.  A country would say they would use WMD witjout ever intending to use them. Supports sancitity of life argument

Christian teachings on forgiveness

Forgiveness is very important to Christians and is a key teaching:

• Jesus died on the cross to bring forgivness
• 'love your enemy' - suggests forgiveness
• Jesus forgave those who killed him - 'father forgive them'
• In the Bible Peter asked if he should forgive up to 7 times and Jesus said 77 times
• Jesus said if we do not forgive other people's sins we will not be forgiven
• St Paul said we should try to live in peace with everyone

Forgiveness in Islam is also very important:

• Teaches God is merciful and those who repent will be forgiven - so Muslims should forgive 
• Forgiving is one of the 99 names of Allah
• God is compassionate and merciful to sinners, on the Day of Judgement God will deal with people as they deserve, but Muslims must ask for mercy
• The Qur'an says that Muslims should forgive
• 'If a person forgives, and makes reconciliation his reward is due from God'

Religious organisations can work for peace directly & indirectly. 

Directly -campaign for world peace by encouraging reconciliation, educating both sides and teaching forgiveness.  

Christian organisations-

• The World Council of Churches- An organisation that brings together Christians of the world to achieve world peace. They follow Jesus' teachings on forgiveness (stopping blaming people and start pardoning them), peace and unity
• Christian Aid, has urged givmts to find a compromise in the Isreal/Palestine conflict

Islamic organisations-

• Islamic Relief and the Muslim Peace Fellowship- IR is a Muslim agency that helps the victims of war. The MPF works to promote world peace and aims to work with everyone of all  faiths  for world peace and work against injustice

Indirectly - e.g. by donating mmoney to chariatble causes.  Remember Muslims also help to make world more equal throughzakah - 2.5% of yearly savings which should be given to the needy, and so donated to charities involved in peacemaking or supporting victims of war