AQA - War and Peace Revision

Religious Studies Revision – Life Issues

War & Peace

Key Terms;

Holy War- fighting for a religious cause or God (found in Christian and Islamic teachings)

Just War- the rules of war which allow a religious person to fight (found in Christian and Sikh teachings)

Justice- to bring about what is right and what is fair for all people, correcting wrongs, protection of individual and group rights

Nuclear Proliferation- the increase in the number of countries that have nuclear weapons

Pacifism- belief that all violence is wrong

Peace- the absence of war or conflict between group and nations, it’s a virtue in all religions and is justice for all

Peacekeeping Forces- organisations that work in areas of conflict, to protect victims of war and establish and maintain peace between groups and nations

Refugees- people who are forced to leave their homes and countries to find safety elsewhere

Sanctity of Life- the belief that life is special and sacred, a gift from God and is precious

Terrorism- the use of threats and violence by groups to create a climate of fear to achieve their aims, it is non-democratic

Victims of War- civilians who are affected by war

War- two or more sides or nations involved in armed conflict

Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD’S) – weapons that can kill large numbers of people and destroy vast areas of land

TYPES OF WAR;

-Between nations e.g. WW1, WW2 and Vietnam War

-Civil wars e.g. Rwanda and Sierra Leone

-War against terrorism e.g. Western Allies against Al Qaeda in specific countries such as Pakistan

CAUSES OF WAR;

-defence against invasion

-defence of religion, freedom and ways of life

-defence of a weaker nation

-strike to prevent expected attack

-to gain land/resources

-removal of government/leader

-end injustice such as genocide

Wars can be fought conventionally, using military personal and regular weapons. They can also be fought by WMDs which can be nuclear, biological, chemical or radiological.

EFFECTS OF WAR;

-victims of war are either killed, maimed, orphaned or become refugees

-soldiers are killed, traumatised and desensitised

-environment suffers through destruction of land/properties, hazardous areas e.g. landmines

-economy suffers due to loss of farming and industry including the costs to rebuild

-tension politically created between opposing forces which could lead to future conflicts

The impact of war can leave people in desperate situations. Immediate effects are loss of life and homelessness which leads to even more problems.

JUST WAR (Christianity);

-the ‘just war theory’ is a set of rules which allows a religion to go to war. It comes from seeking/fought for justice and it ends when justice is met. The war should met all of the criteria

1) Be controlled by an elected government

2) Have a just cause e.g. NOT for revenge

3) Aim is clear e.g. to promote good over evil, an objective that when met could end the war

4) It must be a last resort, so negotiations and peace talks…