Peace
Just war theory
- Thread starter Jacob
- Start date
ok doser
lifeguard at the cement pond
OK - ISIS : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant
they are a terrorist organization that deliberately targets innocents, civilians, aid workers, etc and brutally kills them
they kidnap and enslave young women, subjecting them to continual rape
my argument would be that it is just to war against ISIS because they are an evil organization, dedicated to spreading evil
[emoji3522][emoji3583][emoji120]
ok doser
lifeguard at the cement pond
should Christians be in law enforcement?
'Just War' is a doctrine that was first introduced loosely by St. Augustine. It's first mentioned in the City of God- his largest collection of works that even today is still a cornerstone to many universal doctrines.
It's well worth looking into, though it's a complex and sometimes harsh read depending on certain moral notions you might have. The Catholic Church in particular still maintains a firm stance on the matter, as it's something they expound on and have expressed in their catechism.
Among other things, this a bit of what is stated:
As with all moral acts the use of force to obtain justice must comply with three conditions to be morally good. First, the act must be good in itself. The use of force to obtain justice is morally licit in itself. Second, it must be done with a good intention, which as noted earlier must be to correct vice, to restore justice or to restrain evil, and not to inflict evil for its own sake. Thirdly, it must be appropriate in the circumstances. An act which may otherwise be good and well motivated can be sinful by reason of imprudent judgment and execution.
>the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain
>all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;
>there must be serious prospects of success
>the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition
It's well worth looking into, though it's a complex and sometimes harsh read depending on certain moral notions you might have. The Catholic Church in particular still maintains a firm stance on the matter, as it's something they expound on and have expressed in their catechism.
Among other things, this a bit of what is stated:
As with all moral acts the use of force to obtain justice must comply with three conditions to be morally good. First, the act must be good in itself. The use of force to obtain justice is morally licit in itself. Second, it must be done with a good intention, which as noted earlier must be to correct vice, to restore justice or to restrain evil, and not to inflict evil for its own sake. Thirdly, it must be appropriate in the circumstances. An act which may otherwise be good and well motivated can be sinful by reason of imprudent judgment and execution.
>the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain
>all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;
>there must be serious prospects of success
>the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition
That is not good at all. A lot of bad. I believe that a just war here would be about harm done to others but not yourself is my understanding.
Maybe this can be as an example even if you never do anything against them. An example of when a war may be viewed as just.
How do you make peace?
I can only see the third of these three.
Should I receive your question here as an addition to what I asked? I can try to answer your question.
A Christian can be involved in law enforcement if he has no reservations in respect to his duty and potential action.
I see justice viewed as good, and something about the action must not have possible retaliation? Do I understand that correctly? Am I to imagine innocent people dying? And, was Augustine Catholic?
Edit... this is embarrassing but I do not see what I have written here in your post quote.
Augustine was a 4th century bishop and theologian of the Roman Church, yes. He had views that could easily be described as both Catholic and Protestant in that he maintained the authority of the Roman magisterium and yet also had inclinations to things like predestination and an immutability of God which Luther and Calvin would later expound upon through the Reformation.
That's a big part of the reason why he's so relevant to Christianity at large, even if by different churches and sects.
There were Protestants back then?
I have heard some of his work I think, but I was not thinking him to be Catholic.
Idolater
"Foundation of the World" Dispensationalist χρ
He was a bishop (cf. 1Ti3:1KJV). The Church in Paul's time is today called 'the Catholic Church.' In Augustine's time, there was only One Church, and it was, what is today the Catholic Church.
Great scripture. I do disagree with you. I am not for the Catholic Church.
Idolater
"Foundation of the World" Dispensationalist χρ
When I am talking about the whole entire Body of Christ, I say 'the Body of Christ,' or the 'Church.' When I mean the Catholic Church, I say 'the Catholic Church.'
Idolater
"Foundation of the World" Dispensationalist χρ
I was talking about the Catholic Church as a whole, but meaning that in the scriptures and in the early church we do not find the Catholic Church.
Idolater
"Foundation of the World" Dispensationalist χρ
Well idk what you're talking about. The Church in the Bible, is today called the Catholic Church. It was an organization of churches, like the churches in Rome, in Corinth, in Philippi, in Antioch, in Smyrna. They were all one, in communion with each other, they were united, in one Body. Every individual member of each church was an individual member of the Body of Christ, the whole entire Church. Who those churches were then, is today called the Catholic Church.
I disagree with you. There is no mention of a or the Catholic Church.
Idolater
"Foundation of the World" Dispensationalist χρ
Right. It just says 'the Church' when Scripture speaks of the Catholic Church today. The 'Catholic' Church was invented by someone very close to the Apostolic era, if not during the Apostolic era, because by AD 107, the phrase was already being used to talk about the whole entire Church, comprising all of the churches, all around the world at that time. As a synonym for the Body of Christ.