Transcript CONSTANTINE (280-313)

HISTORY OF CST ON
WAR AND NONVIOLENT
PEACEBUILDING
DEPENDENCE ON GOD . . .
DO NOT BE AFRAID
Jesus
• "I give you a new commandment, that you
love one another. Just as I have loved you, you
also should love one another" (John 13:34).
Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword
back into its place; for all those who take
up the sword shall perish by the sword.”
Resurrection:
“Peace be with you.”
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
ST. STEPHEN
WEAPONS OF THE SPIRIT, Ephesians 6:10-17
10
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His
might. 11 PUT ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD, so that you
will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but
against the rulers, against the powers, against the world
forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of
wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the
full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the
evil day, and having done everything, to STAND FIRM. 14
STAND FIRM THEREFORE, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS
WITH TRUTH, and HAVING )PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE
PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16in addition to
all, taking up the SHIELD OF FAITH with which you will be
able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17
And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God.
EARLY CHRISTIANS
• Refuse to be soldiers.
• Take seriously the Gospel commands:
– Turn the other cheek.
– Love your enemies
– Blessed are the peacemakers.
– Put away your sword.
– Forgive one another.
JUSTIN MARTYR (C. 100-165)
“And
we who delighted in war, in the
slaughter of one another, and in every
other kind of iniquity have in every
part of the world converted our
weapons into implements of peace our swords into ploughshares, our
spears into farmers' tools - and we
cultivate piety, justice, brotherly
charity, faith and hope, which we
derive from the Father through the
crucified Savior.”.
“not only refuse to make war against our
enemies . . . .meet death willingly, confessing
Christ.”
Apostolic Canons of St. Hippolytus,
Bishop of Rome (170-237)
• Renunciation of killing prerequisite for
baptism
• Soldier shall not kill man.
• A Christian may not become a solider unless
compelled by sword.
Clement of Alexandria (+215 C.E.)
• “The Church is an army of
peace which sheds no
blood.”
• “In peace, not in war, we
are trained.”
• “If you enroll as one of
God’s people, heaven is
your country and God your
lawgiver. And what are his
laws? You shall not kill, You
shall love your neighbor as
yourself. To him that strikes
you on the one cheek, turn
to him the other also.”
ST. MAXIMILIAN (295)
• “I am a Christian, and
cannot fight… I cannot
serve as a soldier, I
cannot do evil.”
• “My service is to my
Lord. I cannot serve the
powers of this world. I
have just said that I am
a Christian.”
CONSTANTINE (280-313)
EDICT OF MILAN, 313
MARTIN DE TOURS, 315-397
Around 356 A.D., at a ceremony in which soldiers were given a
donative or monetary gift, Martin explained to his
commanding officer why he could no longer serve as a Roman
soldier.
“Up to
the present I have
served you as a
soldier. Allow me
now to become a
soldier of God. Let the
man who is to serve you receive your donative.
I am a soldier of Christ. It is not lawful for me to
fight.”
Council of Nicea, 325
• As many as were called by grace, and displayed the
first zeal, having cast aside their military belts, but
afterwards returned, like dogs, to their own vomit, so
that some have regained their military stations; let
these, after they have passed the space of three
years as hearers, be for ten years prostrators. But in all
these cases it is necessary to examine well into their purpose and
what their repentance appears to be like. For as many as give
evidence of their conversions by deeds, and not pretense, with fear,
and tears, and perseverance, and good works, when they have
fulfilled their appointed time as hearers, may properly communicate
in prayers; and after that the bishop may determine yet more
favorably concerning them. (Canon XII)
• [Hearers and prostrators were categories of penitents who can be
present, like catechumens, for the Liturgy of the Word, but are
barred from the Eucharistic Liturgy.]
ACCEPTANCE OF
CHRISTIANS BEING SOLDIERS
EVIDENT IN THE 4TH CENTURY, BUT
IT IS A HESITATING ACCEPTANCE.
ST. BASIL THE GREAT, 329-379
• Killing in war is
not murder, but -“…it is advisable
to refuse them
communion for
three years, on
the ground that
they are not cleanhanded.”
ST. AUGUSTINE, 354-430
Agreed that Christians
should be pacifists in
their personal lives;
however, NATIONS, in
the case of defense of
the innocents, may
have to fight in order to
restore peace.
Called for three years of
penance for soldiers
who killed during war.
ST. AUGUSTINE
“No wise person will
cheer even a
defensive war with
any degree of patriotic
exuberance; to
contemplate warfare
without heartfelt grief
only shows that one
has lost all human
feeling.”
MIDDLE AGES – TWO DISTINCT RESPONSES TO WAR
NONVIOLENCE
CRUSADES or “Holy Wars”
Crusades
• In 1095, Pope Urban II declared that some
wars could be deemed as not only a bellum
iustum ("just war"), but could, in certain cases,
rise to the level of a bellum sacrum(holy war).
• Indulgences
• Clairvaux, “expiate your sins by victories over
the infidels.”
FRANCIS AND THE
SULTAN, 1219
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, 1225-1274
• Uses authority of
Augustine’s argument and
defines conditions for just
war theory.
• Divorces theory from Sacred
Scripture and argues from
natural law.
• Introduces theory of selfdefense.
• STATIFIED PACIFISM:
“unfitting” for clerics
participate in war because
called to holiness; rather,
they should be willing to
shed their blood.
AQUINAS’ THREE PRINCIPLES
OF JUST WAR
1. First, war must occur for a good and just
purpose rather than for self-gain or as an
exercise of power.
2. Second, just war must be waged by a
properly instituted authority such as the
state.
3. Third, peace must be a central motive even in
the midst of violence
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
“Those who wage war justly aim at peace, and
so they are not opposed to peace, except to
the evil peace, which our Lord came not to
send upon our earth (Mt10:34) ‘ we do not
seek peace in order to be at war, but we go
to war that we may have peace.’ Be peaceful,
therefore, in warring, so that you may
vanquish those whom you war against, and
bring them to the prosperity of peace”.
Up to the Modern Era
• Peace Churches Emerge : Amish, Quakers,
Hutterite, Mennonites, Brethren, Bruderhof,
Shakers, etc….
• Christian allegiance to nation-states.
• Just War is presumed by majority of Catholics,
though Church speaks on behalf of peace.
• Nonviolence Movements – Gandhi, King,
Dorothy Day, Cesar Chavez, Solidarity
Movement…..
THE CHURCH TODAY:
OVERVIEW ON TEACHINGS ON WAR
AND PACIFISM
Vatican Statements Condemn
War and Promote Nonviolence
MODERN TEACHING
• Gaudium et Spes
– Peace is enterprise of justice
– Duty to plead for peace and bring it about; must
avoid war,
– Condemnation of indiscriminate destruction of
modern weapons – evaluate war differently
– Right to be a CO’s (Conscientious Objectors)
From Vatican II forward
• Critiques war and calls out for Peace
vehemently
• Decries savagery of war, esp. nuclear weapons
• Working for peace is demand of faith.
• Moving back towards nonviolence
TWO TRADITIONS: NV AND JW
• "The Christian tradition possesses two ways
to address conflict: nonviolence and just war.
They both share the common goal: to
diminish violence in this world" (U.S. Bishops,
A Harvest of Justice is Sown in Peace).
WE have “NO CHOICE BUT TO
DEFEND PEACE…..
This is an inalienable obligation.
It is the HOW of defending peace
which offers moral options.”
(The Challenge of Peace, 1983)
Two Traditions in Christianity:
Pacifism & Just War
• Respect for life. War always is grave issue
because life is sacred.
• Strong presumption against war.
• Agree that Christians must defend life, but
disagree on how.
CHURCH SUPPORTS PACIFISM
• War is never moral.
• Pacifists will not participate in war on grounds
of faith and conscience. (CO = Conscientious
Objector)
• Stress nv of Jesus.
• Rooted in Gospel.
• DEFEND THE COMMON GOOD THROUGH
DIRECT NV ACTION.
CHURCH SUPPORTS JUST WAR THEORY
• Introduced by St. Augustine and refined by Thomas
Aquinas.
• Purpose:
– To RESTRICT war by establishing criteria to judge a
conflict and discern if war is JUSTIFIABLE.
– To LIMIT amount of force used in war.
• Stance rooted in natural law.
7 Criteria to Declare a Just War
(All 7 criteria must be met)
1. Last Resort: All nonviolent options have
been exhausted.
2. Just Cause: war is waged to defend from
aggressor or protect human rights.
3. Legitimate Authority: It is waged by a
legitimate authority.
4. Right Intention: wage war with goal of
reconciliation.
7 Criteria to Declare War, cont.
5. Probability of Success: It has a reasonable
chance of success.
6. Proportionality: Armed conflict must not
produce destruction/evil greater than the
good achieved. (G > E)
7. Comparative Justice: Rights and values
threatened must be so important they justify
killing.
2 Criteria for Restraint of Force
in a War
1. Discrimination: This criterion requires that
actions within a war must never be “total
war”, nuclear war, and must never target
civilian populations or non-military targets.
2. Proportionality: Destruction caused by
actions in war must be proportionate to the
good expected by the actions. Destruction
applies in both the temporal and spiritual
sense.
MODERN TEACHING
• Pope Paul VI - War is the failure of love . . . War is butchery
of untold magnitude . . . No more war! Never again war! If
you wish to be brothers, drop your weapons. . . If you want
peace work for justice. . . The arms race is aggression
against the poor
• JPII: “No to war! War is not always inevitable. It
is always a defeat for humanity," . . . “War is a
lie. Do not believe in violence. Do not support
violence. It is not the Christian way. Believe
only in peace and forgiveness and love, for they
alone are Christ.” . . . First Iraq War: “Never
again war. Never again because it kills innocent
lives and throws into upheaval the lives of those
who do killing.” . . . “What the world needs is
peace… Respond to violence and inhumane
hatred with love. Be artisans of peace.”
War on Iraq
Cardinal Ratzinger, May 2, 2003
“There were not sufficient reasons to unleash a
war against Iraq. To say nothing of the fact
that, given the new weapons that make
possible destructions that go beyond the
combatant groups, today we should be
asking ourselves if it is still licit to admit the
very existence of a 'just war'."
Ratzinger on Invasion of Iraq
• "proportion between the possible positive
consequences and the sure negative effect of
the conflict was not guaranteed. On the
contrary, it seems clear that the negative
consequences will be greater than anything
positive that might be obtained."
Pope Benedict, Love of Enemy
• (Love of enemy) is rightly considered the "magna
carta" of Christian nonviolence; it does not consist in
surrendering to evil -- as claims a false interpretation
of "turn the other cheek" (Luke 6:29) -- but in
responding to evil with good. (Romans 12:17-21), and
thus breaking the chain of injustice. It is thus
understood that nonviolence, for Christians, is not
mere tactical behavior but a person's way of being, the
attitude of one who is convinced of God's love and
power, who is not afraid to confront evil
with the weapons of love and truth alone.
Pope Benedict, continued
Loving the enemy is the nucleus of the
"Christian revolution," a revolution not based
on strategies of economic, political or media power.
The revolution of love, a love that does not base
itself definitively in human resources, but in the
gift of God, that is obtained only and unreservedly
in his merciful goodness. Herein lies the novelty of
the Gospel, which changes the world without
making noise. Herein lies the heroism of the "little
ones," who believe in the love of God and spread it
even at the cost of life.
Pope Benedict Questions if just
war is even possible…..
Catholic American
or American Catholic?
The Costs of War
by Father Clement
Costs of War?
Statistics
Costs of War
The Costs of War
Costs of War
Cost of War
Costs of War
Cost of War
Invisible cost of war
SUICIDE AND “MORAL INJURY”
The struggles our veterans face are such that 18
of them commit suicide every day, according to
recent reports. That is more than 6,500 suicides
per year. As of last week, 6,414 U.S. service
members have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. In
other words, suicide kills as many of our troops
in one year as our enemies have killed in the
past decade.
(Admiral Mullen)
Invisible cost of War
What is the tragic costs of war that
often escapes us?
The belief that a society CANNOT
be organized on the basis of
dialogue, truth and human
goodness
The declaration that we human
beings cannot live together
without the power to control and
kill.
The belief that power, domination
and victory will solve the problem
of violence and evil.
The cost of war is the
dehumanization of the “other” as
an “enemy”.
Every violation of the “other” is a
violation of the “self”.
War dehumanizes both the victor
and victim
We have turned a political activity
(WAR) into a cultural assumption
that violence can solve social
problems and we teach this to our
kids in the schools.
Violence is learned
Cost of War
• The voices of
peace
• The voices of nonviolence
• Alternative Voices
“The problem after a war is the
victor. He thinks he has just
proved that war and violence pay.
Who will teach him a lesson”.
A.J. Muste
We have also succeeded to link
violence to peace.
We call it “Just War”
What is the Alternative?
NON-VIOLATING SELF AND OTHER
RECEIVING AND GIVING PEACE AS A
GIFT
WHAT ARE THE FOUNDATIONS
FOR NOT VIOLATING OTHERS?
OUR COMMON HUMANITY
SOMETHINGS IN LIFE ARE GIVEN
AND RECEIVED AS GIFTS:
LOVE, FRIENDSHIP, PEACE.
OUR COMMON HUMANITY
BIOLOGICAL UNITY
PSYCHIC UNITY.
CAPACITY FOR LOVE, FRIENDSHIP
AND PEACE
ONLY HUMANS
ASK AND ANSWER QUESTIONS, SEEK
UNDERSTANDING,
CAN CHOOSE BETWEEN GOOD AND
EVIL,
HAVE THE CAPACITY TO GIVE AND
RECEIVE LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP.
HUMANITY IS ONE
ANY VIOLATION OF THE SELF OR
OTHERS AFFECTS HUMANITY
ANY GIFT OF LOVE TO THE OTHER
AFFECTS HUMANITY
THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS WE
CANNOT BRING ABOUT BY FORCE.
LOVE, FRIENDSHIP, AND PEACE
THEY ARE GIFTS WE GIVE AND
RECEIVE.
ACTIVE NON-VIOLENCE IS THE
CHOICE NOT TO VIOLATE OUR
SELVES BY VIOLATING OTHERS.
THE CHOICE FOR A COMMON
HUMANITY AS A GIFT AND
CONTRIBUTION.
CST ON WAR
PACIFISM: CHRISTIANS CANNOT BE SOLDIERS
HESITATING ALLOWANCE OF CHRISTIAN BEING SOLDIERS
HOLY WAR
CHRISTIAN SOLDIER?
• Reflect on the modern view of Christian
participation in war.
• Identify and discuss the stance of early
Christians on participation in war and killing.
What do you think?
CINCINNATI — A
popular southwest
Ohio air show has
canceled plans to
stage a re-enactment
of the devastating
World War II atomic
bomb attack on
Japan after protests,
officials said
Thursday.