1. KQ: Can religious believers ever justify war?
c/w
Date: Sunday, 16 September 2018
KQ: Can religious believers ever justify war?
Test yourself: Your half term homework was to read the chapter on Peace and Conflict. Complete the 20 mark questions in 20 minutes.
20 minutes

2. So should Christians ever fight in wars?

3. It is a last resort and all non-violent methods have failed
My name is St Augustine and I was one of the founders of Just War Theory. ‘Just’ comes from the word Justice and means fair. I gave some suggestions to religious believers about when it may be fair or just to fight in a conflict. Come up with your own 3 criteria for when it may be fair to fight in a war.
My name is St Thomas Aquinas. Where have you heard about me before? I developed the just war theory. This is largely a Christian theory. A religious believer can fight in a war if:
It is a last resort and all non-violent methods have failed
There is a reasonable chance of success
Civilians should not be targeted
The cause of war must be just e.g. fighting aggression and injustice
The aim must be to bring about peace
The methods used must be fair, reasonable and proportionate
A: Causation argument

4. 30 second debate
Person A – Argue that war can be justified if it is ‘just’
Person B – Argue that war can never be justified
Consolidate your learning: You have 2 minutes to explain everything you know about Just War Theory.

5. So does this support the idea of war or not?
Should a Christian ever go to war?
Divide your mini whiteboard into Christian arguments for and against war. What can you come up with?
Key Teaching
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9)
So does this support the idea of war or not?
Key Term
Pacifism = The belief that all disputes should be settled by peaceful means
Absolute Pacifism – no engagement in military activity at all e.g. the Quakers and Pax Christi
Relative or selective pacifism - no engagement in military activity in certain circumstances
Nuclear pacifism – no use of nuclear weapons

6. Christian acceptance of war
Christian views against war
It might be needed to overcome great evil – wars can be used to achieve peace
Jesus did not fight his arrest or crucifixion. He told Peter not to fight saying ‘put your sword back’
Christians should work for justice; war may be the only way to achieve this (lesser of two evils)
Jesus taught love your enemies (e.g. Good Samaritan)
The teaching ‘love thy neighbour’ may mean fighting for them in a conflict
The teaching ‘love thy neighbour’ can never mean killing
Jesus told the people that they should obey the lawful government
Christians should follow the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount to ‘turn the other cheek’
Jesus told his disciples ‘if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one’ (Luke 22:36), meaning that sometimes violence may be necessary
The Ten Commandments forbids killing

7. Consolidate your learning

8. Consolidate your learning: You have 2 minutes to explain everything you know about the Christian attitude to war. You’ll need to be concise!

9. So does this support the idea of war or not?
Should a Muslim ever go to war?
Divide your mini whiteboard into Muslim arguments for and against war. What can you come up with?
The word Islam means ‘peace’ in Arabic
When Muslims greet each other they say ‘salaam aleikum’ meaning ‘may peace be with you’
So does this support the idea of war or not?

10. Physical struggle or war:
The Qur’an teaches that in order to follow the will of God, people will face many struggles, both inside themselves and in the world. This is called ‘jihad’.
Greater/inner jihad
Inner struggle with themselves to be a better Muslim e.g. fighting desires, doing good deeds & studying the Qur’an
Lesser jihad
Physical struggle or war:
‘Fight in the case of God those who fight you, but do not transgress the limits; for God loves not the transgressors’ (Surah 2:190)
Most Muslims support war as part of lesser jihad but only if certain conditions are met: (Just or holy war)
Must be in self defence or defence of Islam
Must stop when the enemy surrenders
Must be declared by a religious or spiritual authority
Must be a last resort
Innocent people must not suffer. Land and plants should not be harmed.
Compare and contrast the Muslim conditions for holy war with the Christian just war theory

11. Muslim acceptance of war
Muslim views against war
The Qur’an teaches that Muslims must fight if they are attached because Muhammad himself fought in wars
Peace and reconciliation is at the heart of Islam and the teachings of the Qur’an
The Qur’an teaches that anyone who dies in a just war will go straight to Heaven
Modern weapons e.g nuclear weapons cannot possibly be used in a way that is compatible with the Muslims rules about fighting in a war – innocent civilians will always be injured and killed
‘Fight in the case of God those who fight you, but do not transgress the limits; for God loves not the transgressors’ (Surah 2: 190)
Violence only leads to more violence. War caused hatred and distrust. The Muslim Peace Fellowship are pacifists
Consolidate your learning: You have 2 minutes to explain everything you know about the Muslim attitude to war. You’ll need to be concise!

12. Skim / Scan / Summarise
Skim read all of the subheadings and topic sentences on pages
Scan across the text and pick out all key terms, key teachings, dates, examples and key facts.
In your own words, summarise the work of one Christian and one Muslim organisation to promote world peace.
5 minutes

13. Reciprocal Reading pages 62-63
We are going to read the text together. Make sure you are listening as you may be called on to read. We will build in 30 second pauses for you to capture the key terms, key facts and evidence.

14. Show what you know!
Using your green pen, improve your 20 mark questions from the start of the lesson