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RELIGION, PEACE AND CONFLICT - Coggle Diagram
RELIGION, PEACE AND CONFLICT
Peace and violence
Peace: absence of violence. Many people work for peace, sometimes for religious reasons, or not
Justice: fairness, what is deserved or right. Many believe justice should be done, some feel that mercy is better
Forgiveness: letting go of bad feelings towards someone who has caused pain. Some people, especially religious, believe you should forgive others. Not everyone agrees
Reconciliation: being reunited in a positive sense with someone one was separated from. Many people work for reconciliation of conflict, but some feel this is not possible or desirable
Violence: acting destructively/potentially destructively, including war, in protest, or terrorism
Christian views FOR and AGAINST violence:
For:
- Christians believe it is just to punish criminals violently, and those who sin against God.
Against:
- Jesus taught peace and love for enemies and forgiveness
Non-religious views:
- Non-religious people may feel that violence can be justified or that it should be avoided
- Humanists believe in treating people fairly and with dignity, and may feel that violence conflicts with that
Some people may become violent when protesting - eg for a change in law, event, or practice. Some people feel that this is unacceptable. Examples of violent protest may include fighting with police, opposing protestors or setting off bombs/terrorism
Holy War
A holy war is a war fought in the name of religion, not just one featuring religious soldiers
Many religious people today reject Holy Wars because they believe that God wants peace, but others feel that God does desire them to fight for certain (good) causes
Holy Wars are usually commanded by a religious leader, eg the Pope, Allah etc
Holy Wars aim to accomplish/gain something for religion, eg land or converts
Fighters in a Holy War may expect forgiveness for their sins in return, or a place in paradise
Just War
- The war must be for a just cause: eg removing injustice, defending a religion. War to gain land/resources is NOT a just cause.
- The war must be declared by a lawful authority, such as a government or religious leader
- Must aim to bring good/re-establish peace or justice
- War is the last resort: peaceful ways of negotiation should be tried first
- There must be a reasonable chance of success: Only go to war if you have a chance of winning otherwise it is a pointless loss of lives
- Necessary force should be used that is proportional to the scale of the war. Don't use force that isn't needed
- Only attack legitimate targets. Don't attack innocent civilians, hospitals, schools etc
Just War Theory is a philosophical discussion that has occured over many centuries between many people about when and why it is acceptable to go to war, and what is acceptable to do in war. It has been largely influenced by Christianity
Utilitarians value actions that produce pleasure rather than pain. They may feel a war is just if more pleasure is caused than pain.
Reasons for war
There are many reasons for war, including greed, self-defence and retaliation
Greed: some wars are due to greed, eg for power or wealth. Many governments will try to claim that their war is not for greed (though it often is). Many people (including the religious) feel it is unjust
Self-defence: Many people feel that it is acceptable to fight a war to defend yourself, and may also feel it acceptable to fight a war to defend someone else (who maybe can't fight for themselves). Many religious people accept this, although there are a few who believe fighting is wrong for any reason
Retaliation: Some wars are fought in retaliation as revenge. Some feel this is a good idea as it punishes unjust attacker and discourages people from attacking in the first place. However it can lead to a constant cycle of attacks. Some people believe revenge is wrong and peace is more important
Pacifism
Pacifism is a belief that violence and war are always wrong, and some may feel they are ineffective
Pacifists believe that it is better to be passive and not violent, whatever the consequences, than to be actively violent and cause harm
Christian views FOR and AGAINST pacifism:
For:
- Some Christians (eg Quakers), are pacifists because they believe God taught peace and forgiveness and opposed violence, even in self-defence
Against:
- Some Christians feel that violence is justified in some circumstances. For example, the Qur'an permits violence in self-defence
Terrorism
Terrorism is generally viewed as unauthorised, non-state violence for a political reason
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Terrorism can lead to higher levels of security and prompt wars in retaliation. It can also encourage people to work for peace and reconcilation
Terrorism often targets civilians, whereas war is for soldiers and the military
Terrorists may see their actions as legitimate when most don't, and governments may start controversial military action considered terrorism by some. This makes it hard to distinguish what is terrorism and what is not.
Some terrorism is associated with religions, terrorists may feel they are carrying out God's will and will earn a place in paradise. Some terrorism is for non-religious reasons such as disagreement with a government policy
Nuclear weapons
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Arguments FOR nuclear weapons:
- used in an extreme emergency
- as a retaliation against another nuclear strike
- If they may save more lives overall
Arguments AGAINST nuclear weapons:
- can kill many people, goes against sanctity of life
- kill/harm innocent people
- radioactivity harms future generations
- harm animals and environment
- do not fulfill a Just War criteria
- accidents can be very damaging (eg Chernobyl)
- do not give people a chance
The atomic bombs dropped on Japan at the end of WWII were so destructive that nuclear weapons are no longer in standard military use
Some people accept nuclear weapons for the purpose of nuclear deterrance, however others feel that this is a large waste of money and countries should get rid of their nuclear weapons
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Religion and peacemaking
Religious people may work for peace between countries, groups of people and conflicting people
Christians speak out about peace and reconciliation, help with peace negotations and give money to charities to help victims of war
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