War

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War
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Introduction

• Of all the enemies to public liberty war is,
  perhaps, the most to be dreaded because it
  comprises and develops the germ of every other.
  War is the parent of armies from these proceed
  debts and taxes known instruments for bringing
  the many under the domination of the few.
• No nation could preserve its freedom in the
  midst of continual warfare.
• James Madison, Political Observations, 1795
•  

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When is a War Just?

•   For almost 2000 years the question of when
  Christians should go to war has been hotly
  debated. Since the taking of human life is so
  seriously opposed to Gospel values, warfare has
  always presented a serious moral dilemma. In the
  Middle Ages St.Thomas Aquinas developed the Just
  War Theory not to justify war but to limit its
  scope and methods.

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Just War Theory
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The criteria set out for the just war include

• The cause must be just.
• It must be undertaken by a legitimate authority
• The intention must be right.
• It must be a last resort.
• There must be a declaration of war.
• There must be reasonable hope of success.
• The good that it hopes to achieve must outweigh
  the evil produced (the criteria of
  proportionality).
• Non-Combatants must be immune from attack.

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Discuss

• Based on this criteria discuss the morality of
  war in Iraq, Palestine or Syria.
•  
• Pope John Paul II said Today the horror and
  scale of modern warfare makes it totally
  unacceptable as a means of settling differences.
• Do you agree?

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Catechism of the Catholic Church on War

• 2327 Because of the evils and injustices that all
  war brings with it, we must do everything
  reasonably possible to avoid it. The Church
  prays "From famine, pestilence, and war, O Lord,
  deliver us."
• 2328 The Church and human reason assert the
  permanent validity of the moral law during armed
  conflicts. Practices deliberately contrary to the
  law of nations and to its universal principles
  are crimes.
• 2329 "The arms race is one of the greatest curses
  on the human race and the harm it inflicts on the
  poor is more than can be endured" (GS 81 3).
• 2330 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall
  be called sons of God" (Mt 59).

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War The Real Cost?

• In the year 2012 total world military spending
  came to 1700billion (or 242 for each person on
  the planet) a 50 increase in the 11 year period
  since 2001.

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Top 5 Sellers of Arms in the World

• United States
• China
• Russia
• UK
• Japan

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• Military spending is concentrated in North
  America, Europe, and increasingly, Asia

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Increased spending before and even during global
economic crisis

• The global financial and economic crisis has
  resulted in many nations cutting back on all
  sorts of public spending (often against the
  criticism of targeting sectors that were not
  responsible for the crisis), and yet military
  spending seems to be increasing.
• How is that justified?

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Spending for peace vs spending for war

• There is a large gap between what countries are
  prepared to allocate for military means to
  provide security and maintain their global and
  regional power status, on the one hand, and to
  alleviate poverty and promote economic
  development, on the other.
• Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

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The Human Cost of War

• Imagine what the conflict in Libya or another
  country in conflict is causing for the ordinary
  people who live in the country.
• Crops, land and environment are destroyed.
• Destruction of food stores, shops and property.
• Inflation increases dramatically at times of
  conflict leading to poverty for most of the
  population.
• People are forced to flee and become refugees or
  internally displaced.
• Much trade and small business ceases.
• Governments stop spending on social needs and
  divert funds to military hardware.
• Roads and means of travel are often dangerous.
• It can be difficult to get access for emergency
  relief.
• Young people are forced to become soldiers.
•  

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Discuss

• What are the long-term impacts for the people of
  a country at war even when the conflict ceases.
• For example If no crops are planted this year,
  what will next year hold?
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• What will the future hold for the many refugees
  who flee the conflict?
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• What are the long-term implications when children
  are used in war?
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•  

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• Imagine if all the military mind power and money
  that is being spent on war was spent instead on
  finding other non-violent solutions, what might
  be possible?

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• The US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has cost over
  1,000 billion dollars.
• The arms trade is the second biggest trade in the
  world (after illegal drugs!).
• In armed conflicts since 1945, 90 of casualties
  have been civilians, compared to 50 in the
  Second World War and 10 in the First.
• There are 250,000 licensed firearms dealers in
  the US alone.

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THE U.N.

• The U.N. was created after World War II with
  leading efforts by the United States and key
  allies.
• The U.N. was set up to be committed to preserving
  peace through international cooperation and
  collective security.
• Yet, the U.N.s entire budget is just a tiny
  fraction of the worlds military expenditure,
  approximately 1.8
• While the U.N. is not perfect and has many
  internal issues that need addressing, it is
  revealing that the world can spend so much on
  their military but contribute so little to the
  goals of global security, international
  cooperation and peace.

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• At the current level of spending (for 2012), it
  would take just a handful of years for the
  worlds donor countries to cover their entire aid
  shortfall, of over 4 trillion in promised
  official aid since 1970, more than 40 years ago.

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• Unfortunately, however poverty fuels violence and
  defence spending has a tendency to rise during
  times of economic hardship.
• The global financial crisis is potentially
  ushering in enormous economic hardship around the
  world.

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• At a time when a deep economic recession is
  causing much turbulence in the civilian world
  defence giants such as Boeing and EADS, or
  Finmeccanica and Northrop Grumman, are enjoying a
  reliable and growing revenue stream from
  countries eager to increase their military might.
• Both geopolitical hostilities and domestic
  violence tend to flare up during downturns.
• Shareholders and employees in the aerospace and
  defence industry are clearly the ones who benefit
  most from growing defense spending.
• Defence companies, whose main task is to aid
  governments efforts to defend or acquire
  territory, routinely highlight their capacity to
  contribute to economic growth and to provide
  employment.
• Military might delivers geopolitical supremacy,
  but peace delivers economic prosperity and
  stability.
• Jorn Madslien, The purchasing power of peace
  , BBC, June 3, 2009

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War versus Poverty

• The 1700 billion spent in the year 2012 on the
  arms industry could have tackled some of the
  greatest needs of our world.
• Providing basic health care to those currently
  without - 20 billion per annum.
• Providing shelter to those without it - 21
  billion per annum.
• Provide literacy for all - 5 billion per annum.
• Eliminate starvation and malnourishment - 25
  billion per annum.
• Provide safe clean water for all - 50 billion
  per annum.
• Total cost - 129 billion per annum.
•  

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Discuss

• Are these figures surprising or shocking?
• Who makes the choices here?
• Why do we spend more on war than on peace?
• What does this say about the world that we live
  in?

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THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS FOR PEACE 
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• Lead us from death to life,
• From falsehood to truth.
• Lead us from despair to hope,
• From fear to trust.
• Lead us from hate to love,
• From war to peace.
• Let peace fill our hearts,
• Our world, our universe.
• Let us dream together,
• Pray together,
• Work together,
• To build one world
• Of peace and justice
• for all.

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• Deep peace of the running wave to you
• Deep peace of the flowing air to you
• Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
• Deep peace of the shining stars to you
• Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you.
•  Celtic blessing, Celebrating Together
  (Corrymeela Press 1987)

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• Goodness is stronger than evil,Love is stronger
  than hate,Light is stronger than darkness,Life
  is stronger than death. Desmond Tutu.

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Chaos The state of our world demands the
question Is God really in control? Look around.
There is war, rioting, destruction, and
brokenness. So much has gone wrong, and things
seem to be getting worse, not better. How can a
good God allow all of this pain? While the evil
of the world causes some to question the
existence or character of God, C.S. Lewis argued
that it ought to show us that mankind is on the
wrong path and in need of a redeeming God.

• Watch the video CHAOS on Igniter Media
• http//www.ignitermedia.com/mini-movies/21/Chaos