Peace and Justice

Peace and Justice

1. 'Just War' Theory

   • Jus ad bellum: rules that state whether it is right to go to war
     • Injustices suffered by one group must be clearly greater than those of the other
     • Only legitimate authority can start a war
     • Must be fought with right intention - material gain is not a just purpose
     • There must be a reasonable chance of success
     • Force must be a last resort
     • Benefits of the war must be greater than any fatalities or evil caused by the war
     • Must have a clear goal
   • Jus in bello: correct conduct of war
     • Civilians should be protected, enemy solidiers should be targeted only
     • Force inflicted should be proportional to the threat it poses
     • Minimum force should be used
   • Jus post bellum: how the war must be ended
     • No revenge must taken
     • Must be a just cause: wrong is righted, enemy surrenders etc.
     • Peace terms must be made and accepted by legitimate authorities
     • Victor must ensure punishment is only inflicted on those responsible for the conflict
   • Thomas Aquinas

2. Violence and Pacifism

   • Pacifists believe that all violence is wrong and argue the principle of agape
   • Deitrich Bonhoeffer was a pacifist yet became involved in a plot to kill Hitler
     • This is an example of a pacifist who decides that violence is necessary to prevent further violence
   • A type of pacifist known as Quakers believe that any type of violence is wrong because to hurt any of God's creations is to hurt God
   • Jesus was seen as a man of peace
     • However, even he had violent outbursts, such as when he turned the traders out of the temple

3. Holy War

   • The arguement that war is sometimes necessary to defend a religion
   • Some still disgree with this
     • Joshua and the Battle of Jercho
   • The most significant Holy War to involve Christianity was the Crusades
     • Battle fought between the 11th and 13th centuries where Christians gathered together to regain control of Jerusalem and the Holy Land

4. Justice and aims of punishment

   • Forgive "seventy times seven"
   • The Five Aims of Punishment
     • Deterrence: deter them and others from comitting the crime
     • Protection: protect innocents from harm
     • Retribution: victims can see the person has been punished
     • Reform: to reform the criminal and give them a better chance at life
     • Vindication: the sense that justice has been served
   • Some Christians still agree that Capital Punishment is the only way to deal with serious crimes
   • Many Christians believe that although criminals should be justly punished, it is never right to take a life to do so

5. Treatment of criminals

   • Forgiveness is a central part of the Christian faith
     • But forgiveness doesn't mean no punishment
     • Jesus and the adulterous woman
   • Elizabeth Fry
     • A Quaker who dedicated her life to reforming women's prisons

6. Social Injustice

   • This covers poverty, racism, governmental opression and unfair imprisonment
     • Christians are against this because all life was created by God and is therefore considered equally valuable
   • Organisations such the Salvation Army allow Christians to work against it
   • Liberation Theology - the movement which tries to help those oppressed by social injustice
   • Camillo Torres - Roman Catholic in Columbia , took part in armed uprisings, believed that violence was justified to fight for justice for the poor and left the Church because it wouldn't support him. He was shot in 1966
   • Oscar Romero - Roman Catholic Archbishop, spoke out against the opressive government using peaceful tactics but was shot in 1980 while saying mass