• Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be
called the children of God [Matthew 5:9]
• You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an
eye and a tooth for a tooth". But I say to you,
do not resist an evildoer. If anyone strikes you
on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
[Matthew 5:38-39]
• Ambassadors of peace and reconciliation
• Work for the creation of just societies
• Scripture shows a
growing understanding
that love is incompatible
with violence
• The Law of Talion
• Rooted in the Code of
Hamurabi
• Ex: Lev 24:17-20
•
17 ‘If
a man [a]takes the life of
any human being, he shall
surely be put to death. 18 The
one who [b]takes the life of
an animal shall make it good,
life for life. 19 If a man
[c]injures his neighbor, just as
he has done, so it shall be
done to him: 20 fracture for
fracture, eye for eye, tooth
for tooth; just as he has
[d]injured a man, so it shall be
[e]inflicted on him.
• “A political institution that employs lethal
methods to resolve conflicts between states”
• international
• Intra-national
• Necessary for a successful war (W. Eckhardt)
• Surplus population of young people
• Surplus wealth
• Moral Support of Citizens
Pre Law
of Talion
Law of
Talion
New
Covenant
• Several different was of articulating the criteria
• All criteria must be present for a war to be just
• Right to Go to War
•
•
•
•
Just cause
Proper authority
Right intention
Last resort
• Conduct in War
• Probability of success
• Just conduct
• Proportionality
• Justice after War
• Just termination
• Restitution
St. Ambrose – First
Christian Just War
Scholar
Q: What virtues are at
work in the Just War
Theory?
• The war is just in intent. There
must be a high-minded
reason to start the war.
• The war is just in disposition.
Hatred of the enemy is not
an ingredient.
• The war is just in auspices. A
lawful authority has declared
the war.
• The war is just in its conduct.
The means used are just and
non-combatants are spared.
• The war is authorized by legitimate
authority. That is, on the authority
of the sovereign.
• The cause must be just and the
belligerents must have rightful
intentions.
• The war is declared as a last resort,
after other means have failed.
• The means used in the war are just.
• There is a reasonable chance of
success.
• The good achieved in victory will
outweigh the evil produced during
the conflict
• Just cause
• Defend innocent
• Protect rights
• Proper authority
• War must be declared by a proper authority
• Right intention
• Revenge is unethical
• last resort
• All peaceful options must be exhausted
• Probability of success
• The war must be winnable
• Just conduct
• Only military combatants are to be targeted. Not
civilians.
• Proportionality
• The good achieved during a war must out weigh the
bad incurred by war
• Just termination
• The defeated party surrenders with favorable
conditions
• Restitution
• The defeated party ought to be reconstructed.
Necessary infrastructures and civil systems ought to
be rebuilt
• Even though many prophets spoke of peace
and pacifism, the Israelites were often engaged
in warfare.
• defensive - limited
• not offensive - total
• Thou Shall Not Kill
• Does this forbid all killing?
• Thou shall not “murder,” or take innocent life
• Killing in warfare and Capital punishment were allowed
under Jewish ethical law
• Examples from Exodus
• 21:14
• 21:15
• 22:18-20
• Capital punishment is divinely sanctioned under Jewish Law
• The must be sufficient cause to inflict capital punishment
• The Jews applied the Law of Talion to conduct in war as well:
• Deut 20:10 - 14
• War must be a last resort
• Killing in war must distinguish between adult males and women,
children etc.
• Other examples
• 2Kings 6:20 - 23
• 2Chron 28: 5 - 15
• When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer
of peace. 11 If they accept and open their gates, all the people
in it shall be subject to forced labor and shall work for you. 12 If
they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay
siege to that city. 13 When the LORD your God delivers it into
your hand, put to the sword all the men in it. 14 As for the
women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city,
you may take these as plunder for yourselves. And you may use
the plunder the LORD your God gives you from your enemies.
The following passages are those most commonly used to support
JW within Christian Scripture
1. Mark 12:13-17
2. John 2:13-16
3. Matt 10:34-39
4. Luke 22:35-38
5. John 15:12-17
6. Matt 8:5-10
• Briefly summarize and explain your passage
• Take note of meaningful symbolism
• In groups, read the passage and determine whether or not this
passage supports JW as a legitimate Christian endeavor.
• In this discussion we need to do the following:
• Investigate if the use of WMDs can satisfy all criteria of JW
• Look at the use of WMDs in the light of double effect
• Apply some Ignatian ideas to war and WMDs:
• the two standards
• AMDG / Magis (remember, magis is a discernment tool)
• Look at some statements on the use WMDs
• Right to Go to War
•
•
•
•
Just cause
Proper authority
Right intention
Last resort
• Conduct in War
• Probability of success
• Just conduct
• Proportionality
• Justice after War
• Just termination
• Restitution
• Which are problematic
when considering the use
of WMDs?
1. The act itself must be morally good or at
least indifferent.
2. The agent may not positively will the bad
effect but may permit it. If he could attain
the good effect without the bad effect he
should do so. The bad effect is sometimes
said to be indirectly voluntary.
3. The good effect must flow from the action
at least as immediately (in the order of
causality, though not necessarily in the order
of time) as the bad effect. In other words
the good effect must be produced directly
by the action, not by the bad effect.
Otherwise the agent would be using a bad
means to a good end, which is never
allowed.
4. The good effect must be sufficiently
desirable to compensate for the allowing of
the bad effect“ (p. 1021).
• Which are problematic
when considering the use
of WMDs?
• Any act of war aimed indiscriminately at the destruction of
entire cities or of extensive areas along with their population is
a crime against God and man himself. It merits unequivocal and
unhesitating condemnation. (Pastoral Constitution on the Church
in the Modern World, No. 80).