just war Essay -- essays research papers fc

One of the oldest traditions in religious ethics is that of the save war. The "Just War Theory" specifies under which conditions war is just. Opposition based on the Just War Theory differs from that of pacifists. Oppositionists oppose particular wars but not all war. Their opposition is based on principals of justice rather than principles of pacifism (Becker 926). In the monotheistic religious traditions of Christianity and Islam, one role of paragon (or Allah) is to limit or control aggressions among humankind. In these religious traditions, beau ideal establishes an ideal or standard for the righteous use of absorb by followers of the faith. These standards, or just war traditions, address details of when to use force to solve disputes, to what extent the force should be employed, and whose blessing is required to insure that the use of force is appropriate in the eyes of God. If a situation satisfies the just war tradition in that culture and the aggression is carr ied out for religious reasons, the action can be further classified as holy war. umteen Americans connect the concept of holy war only with Islam. In fact the Christian crusades during the middle ages were just such a holy war organism waged by Christians against Muslims. Whether a particular situation qualifies as a holy war or not, the focus of the just war tradition is to ask God for approval. Appeals to holy war or religious crusade in one or another tradition are one type of appeal to forebode authority regarding the use of force. In recent history numerous conflicts, border skirmishes, battles and wars have arisen in which governments have decided to apply military force to varying degrees. Inevitably, politicians, policy-makers, religious and military leaders seek divine authority on which to base the struggle of their population and the loss of life. Have religious ethical set or theological aspects of the just war tradition influenced the nature of these military actions ? Have the prevailing religious values kept military actions any more(prenominal) humane than they might otherwise have been? This paper will examine the theological roots of the just war tradition in the Christian and Muslim cultures. In addition, it will try to ascertain how religious ethics, and the just war tradition in particular, has been used between the war on terror and the joined States. Finally, this paper will dem... ... Weigel, George. Minneapolis,      Minnesota Greenhaven Press, 1978. Encyclopedia of Islam. Esposito, John L. modernistic York International Union of      Academies, 1960. Exploring the Christian Faith. Packer, J.I., Osborn, Grant R., Brown, Colin. Nashville, Tennessee Lion Publishing, 1996.Just War and Jihad, Historical and speculative Perspectives on War and Peace in      Western and Islamic Traditions. Kelsay, John & Johnson, James Turner.      Westport, Connecticut Greenwood Press, 1991.Living Religions. Glasse, Cyril. Oxford University Press, 1995. Fisher, Mary Pat. 4th      Ed. Upper lodge River, New Jersey Prentice Hall, 1999. The Christian Theology Reader. McGrath, Alister E. Malden, Ma & Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing, Ltd. 1995, 2001.Pacifism. Encyclopedia of Ethics. Ed. Becker, Lawrence C. New York & London      Garland Publishing, INC. 1992.War and Peace. Encyclopedia of Ethics. Ed. Becker, Lawrence C. New York &      London Garland Publishing, INC. 1992.