RS GCSE EXAM REVISION: WAR AND PEACE
Key words and meanings:
Justice: making something fair/right
United Nations: helps countries settle differences
Sanctity of life: life is God-given
NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
Pacifism: belief that war & violence is wrong
Terrorism: Violent & illegal ways to fight for a cause
Conscientious objector: a person refusing to fight WMD: kills large no’s of people at once
Just war: A war considered acceptable
Nuclear weapons: type of warfare
Holy war: Fighting for a religious cause
Deterrent: puts countries off war
Victim: Someone hurt by war
Refugee: people who seek safety away from home
Jihad: Arabic word meaning “To Struggle”
Quaker: Christian group who believe in pacifism
Causes of war.
What happens as a result of
going to war?
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Restoring peace
Defending country
Defending beliefs/way of life
protecting another weaker
country
Wanting more land
Wanting wealth, power or
resources, such as oil
To stop atrocities like genocide
(mass murder) or terrorism
To force a dictator to give up
power (WW2, IRAQ)
Positive
Negative
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Freedom from an
occupying power
Something better
comes of it
Replace a corrupt
regime
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Death & injuries for
both military &
civilians
Destruction of
economy
Destruction of roads,
schools, water
supply etc
Disease & famine
Homelessness
TWO EXAMPLES OF WAR
The Vietnam War 1959-1975
The Falklands War April to June 1982
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The communist North (supported by communist
countries) fought against the capitalist South
(supported primarily by USA).
The North won the war
Communists unified Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos
Millions killed & left homeless
Left many in extreme poverty
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British Falklands Islands and South Georgia
attacked by Argentina in April 1982
Argentina said they belonged to them
Britain sent a ‘taskforce’ to protect islanders and
to regain control
Argentina surrendered in June 1982
907 lost their lives in 74 days
The JUST war theory:
The Christian Church says war is
acceptable if the following
conditions are met:
1. Good reason for going to war
(i.e. self defence)
2. Started by a proper government
HOLY war
The idea that God helps people to
win battles is a very old one. Both
Muslims and Christians thought God
was on their sides in the Crusades in
the 13th C (battle for control over
the holy land).
(i.e. not terrorists)
Holy wars have religious aims:
3. Promote good and avoid evil
Authority is given by God
4. Last resort
Those who fight believe they will
have spiritual reward in heaven
(i.e. sanctions have been tried)
5. Reasonable chance of success
Fought to defend religion
6. Force used must not be excessive
Fought to take back a country
(i.e. guns vs gun not vs nuclear)
Fought to spread religious belief
Pacifism
Many religious believers disagree with war. They are
called pacifists. A pacifist is someone who does not
believe in violence, fighting or war.
A pacifist will try to use peaceful methods to solve
disputes such as starting petitions, organising peaceful
demonstrations, organising boycotts and economic
sanctions against those threatening violence.
The Quakers, a Christian denomination, are pacifists.
QUOTES PAGE
CHRISTIAN QUOTES
FOR WAR:
“There’s a time for war and a time for peace.”
“Whoever has no sword must sell his coat and buy one.”
“An eye for an eye, tooth for tooth.”
AGAINST WAR:
“Those who live by the sword die by the sword.”
“Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall have the kingdom of heaven.”
“Do not kill.”
“Love thy neighbour.”
“Pray for those who persecute you.”
HINDU QUOTES
FOR WAR:
“For a warrior, nothing is higher than a war against evil….”
AGAINST WAR:
“ Come together, talk together. Let our minds be in harmony... Perfect be the union among us.”
MUSLIM QUOTES
FOR WAR:
“Permission to take up arms is given to those who are attacked, because they have been
wronged.”
“The person who struggles so that Allah’s word is supreme is the one serving Allah’s cause.”
(Jihad)
AGAINST WAR:
“Paradise is for...those who curb their anger and forgive their fellow men.”
NO ONE WHO IS RELIGIOUS CAN BE A TERRORIST
I agree because religions believe in peace. Christians are commanded by Jesus to “love one
another” and to “love thy neighbour”. It is morally wrong to kill another human because in the
Bible it says: “Do not kill.” Terrorists use tactics to scare people, such as the Al Qaeda bombings on
the London tube, which is wrong. Terrorists should negotiate with governments and leave innocent
civilians out of it. Fighting or war is only acceptable to Christians and Muslims if the conditions of
the Just War Theory are met. Terrorism can never be acceptable for this reason.
On the other hand, I disagree because some terrorists are seen as freedom fighters and are fighting
against an injustice. For example, the Catholic terrorist group, the IRA, used terrorism to fight
against British rule in Northern Ireland. Some Muslim groups, such as Al Qaeda, believe that they
are called by Allah to fight a Jihad and they will be reward for their struggle in paradise. Some
groups such as the ANC in South Africa had no option but to use terrorism to force regime change
and abolish apartheid. The former leader of the ANC, Nelson Mandela, describes himself as a
Christian.
EXPLAIN WHY SOME RELIGIOUS BELIEVERS ARE PREPARED TO FIGHT IN A WAR
Christians would be prepared to fight in a war as long as it met the conditions of the Just War
Theory i.e. it was for a just cause, it was started by a recognised government, the war was to
promote good and avoid evil, it was the last resort, there was reasonable chance of success,
reasonable force was used i.e. only enough force to achieve objectives and no civilians were to be
involved.
In the Old Testament God is both a warrior and defender of his people. In the past Christians have
used God as a reason for going to war, for example in the 13th C Crusades, Christians believed God
had told them to take back the holy land. More recently, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Christian
pastor, tried to assassinate Hitler in WW2, because he hated what Hitler was doing. In the New
Testament Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever has no sword must sell his coat and buy one”.
Hindus would be prepared to fight in a war if there was a just cause or if people needed to be made
free. In its ancient scriptures, The Laws of Manu, it suggests that killing is acceptable to prevent
something worse happening, if it is necessary to maintain the
peace. According to the scriptures God Krishna said: “For a warrior, nothing is higher than a war
against evil….” Krishna also said that it could be one’s duty (Dharma) to fight in a war.
Muslims believe that sometimes it is right to fight in a war because in the Qur’an it says:
“Permission to take up arms is given to those who are attacked, because they have been
wronged.” Some Muslims believe in Jihad (Holy War) which means they are fighting to save their
faith. The Jihad must, however, be organised by a religious leader; it must have a just cause; it must
be a last resort. There must be a minimum of suffering. Trees, crops and animals should be
protected. A Muslim killed in Jihad will enter paradise, so there is no disgrace in fighting.
WARS DO NOT SOLVE PROBLEMS, THEY CREATE THEM
I agree: because wars cause death for soldiers and civilians. Wars destroy economies and
breakdown infrastructures such as roads, hospitals, school and water supplies. Wars create
homelessness and the displacement of people (refugees). Wars are very expensive to maintain and
can lead to poverty. In addition wars may create tensions with other countries and provoke
retaliation.
Some Christians, such as Quakers, are pacifists because one of the 10 commandments in the Bible
says: “do not kill”. They believe that no good comes from war and that God wants peace because
Jesus said: “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will have the Kingdom of Heaven”. Pacifists will
try to persuade governments to use all other methods, such as economic sanctions to prevent
fighting.
However, I disagree, some wars do solve problems and are justified. For example, in World War 2,
the Allied Forces joined the war to get rid of an evil dictator (Hitler) and to stop the Genocide of the
Jews. Once the war was over there was peace in Western Europe and there has been peace ever
since.
Some Christians would argue that war does solve problems because in the Bible it says: “There’s a
time for war and a time for peace.” Some Christians would also argue if the Just War conditions are
met then going to war can be right. That means if the war was started by a recognised government;
there is a just cause for going to war and there is a reasonable chance of success.
EXPLAIN CHRISTIAN BELIEFS ABOUT WAR
In the Old Testament God is described as a “great warrior who crushed all his opposition”. In
addition God told Joshua to: “Take the whole army with you and go and attack Ai” because the land
had been promised to him . It also says: “An eye for an eye, tooth for tooth.” But, in the New
Testament, Jesus talked about God being forgiving and loving, and said to his people to, “love thy
neighbour”.
Modern interpretations of the Christian scriptures say that Christians want to create a world of
peace, harmony and justice, as they believe they have a duty to aim for peace as the Bible says,
“Blessed are the peacemakers for they will have the Kingdom of God.”
Some Christians believe that war is necessary to achieve peace and will use the Just War Theory,
created by Thomas Aquinas in the 13th C, to help them decide whether or not going to war is right.
These Christians believe that war is only necessary in the most severe situations and must meet the
following conditions: the war must be started by a recognised government; there must be a just
cause for going to war and the war must ensure good, not evil comes out of war; it must be a last
resort; the force used must be no more than is necessary and there must be a reasonable chance of
success.
Other Christians, such as Quakers, are pacifists and believe that war is never necessary as it goes
against the commandment to “love thy neighbour” and “do not kill”. Jesus said: “Put down your
sword for those who live by the sword, die by the sword”. In times of war they believe there is
always a peaceful solution to the problem such as using sanctions or boycotts. During war time
Christian pacifists will follow what it says in the Bible, “Pray for those who persecute you.” In an
event of war pacifists have been conscientious objectors. This means they refuse to fight or use
violence. Instead they will act as ambulance drivers or work in other non-violent posts.
RELIGIOUS BELIEVERS SHOULD NEVER AGREE WITH A COUNTRY HAVING WEAPONS OF
MASS DESTRUCTION.
I agree religious believers should never agree with a country having weapons of mass destruction as
they will never meet the conditions of the Just War theory as they kill masses of innocent civilians,
they are not proportional and their effects last for 1000s of years. The radiation seeps into the soil
and crops can no longer be grown on the land. Radiation is absorbed into the atmosphere and
creates acid rain that falls on innocent countries. This then pollutes the water and environment
which causes cancers in humans.
Religions teach about peace and some groups like pacifists actively campaign against weapons of
mass destruction. The CND movement leads demonstrations and lobbies governments around the
world trying to get countries to disarm. They believe that “those who live by the sword die by the
sword.”
However, many religions acknowledge that wars are inevitable and countries need to protect and
defend their territory and citizens. Having WMDs such as nuclear weapons can act as a deterrent
and stop countries attacking each other. Jesus said that “whoever has no sword must sell his coat
and buy one.”