Unit 2 (year 10)

Religion, war and peace

To defend their beliefs, religion,

freedom and way of life

To defend their country if being

If someone tried to impose their
attacked. The end result out
values on another country
weighs how much it costs.

Weaker countries should be

protected from stronger
countries

Some countries have to go to

war to get rid of corrupt
governments

To gain wealth through

resources such as oil.

To stop genocide (mass murder)

in other countries

War can bring benefits for

people who have been
oppressed.

Why do people go to
war?
Trying to take back something
that a country thinks is theirs
like land.

To defend those people we are

friends with (allies)

Examples of wars

World War I
World War II
Vietnam War
Falklands Conflict
Chinese occupation of Tibet
The current Afghanistan/Iraq War
Syria

Consequences of war
Positive

Negative

Freedom from an occupying

power

Conflict causes death and injuries

The replacement of a corrupt

government

Destruction of the countries

economy, culture and
infrastructure

The lives of those in the country

becomes better

Disease and famine can spread

The cost is enormous

PEACE
Many people in the UK take peace for granted. It has
been over 60 years since World War II. Most recent
wars , for example in the Falklands, Afghanistan and
Iraq, have been fought far away from these shores.
The one exception is N.I but since there has been a
cease fire then people value the need for peace
Peace for many is not jut the absence of conflict as
real peace involves a feeling of well being.
Many find peace through religion and is a constant
presence.
Prayer and meditation can lead to peace

Justice
Some people would say that without justice there
can never be peace. Unfairness makes people angry
and this can lead to conflict with those who are seen
to be the cause of the unfairness.
Real peace only exists when people are able to live in
freedom with full human rights, including the right
to follow a religion without fear and threats from
others.
They both believed
that it was possible
to achieve justice
using non-violent
methods rather than
armed conflict

SOL

The sanctity of life, the idea that all human life is precious and should
not be destroyed, is the basis for religious attitudes towards war and
peace.

If life is God given and sacred, and is not up to humans to take it away,
how can religious believers justify killing people in a war?

Some religious believers think violence is never justified even in the

pursuit of justice. This belief is called pacifism. Christian pacifists
believe that human beings should work for justice, but that this cannot
be achieved through violence.

Other religious believers disagree. Although they accept the sanctity of

life, they balance it against justice and the long-term search for peace.

In some cases, the sanctity of the enemies lives is less important than
establishing peace for all. In some situations, believers accept war as
less of an evil than doing nothing, and the only way of establishing true
peace.

Pacifism- Peace

Religious views
Christians
Do not kill
5th Commandment

Blessed are the

peacemakers, for they
will be called sons of God
Matthew 5:9

If your enemy is hungry,

give him food to eat; if he is
thirsty, give him water to
drink. Proverbs 25:21

A time to love, and a time to

hate;
A time for war, and a time for
peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:8

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth But I

tell you, do not resist an evil person. If
someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn
to him the other also Matt 5:38-9

Christianity and Pacifism

The Early Christians practised non-violence and
didnt take revenge
Jesus didnt resist arrest and accepted his death
Jesus taught his followers to live and work for peace
Christian pacifists are willing to die but not kill for
their beliefs- some will therefore serve in nonfighting roles
During WWI, II many pacifists were put in prison
for refusing to fight
Quakers
Pax Christi
Believe that every person carries Roman Catholic groupPromotes a culture of
the inner light of God. That
peace and non
there is that of God in
violence through
everyone.
reconciliation
Turning the tide- a campaign group
(forgiveness) and
education

Religion

ATTITUDES TOWARDS PEACE

ATTITUDES TOWARDS WAR

Islam

Seek a just and peaceful world

Word Islam means peace
Muslims say peace be upon him to greet each other (Salaam)
The Quran teaches peace and reconciliation is better
Muslims should forgive and not seek revenge

JIHAD/JUST WAR
Muslims believe in the jihad/just war (greater-fight against temptation in own
lives/lesser jihad is the military struggle in defence of Islam
The Quran gives those who have been attacked permission to fight back
Just cause- last resort- keep suffering to a minimum- aim to restore peace
Enable the release of all prisoners of war- be started and controlled by a religious
leader

Judaism

Peace is the highest good- Jews greet other with Shalom (Peace be upon him)
Scripture teaches Truth, justice and peace in order to keep the world safe
Jews have suffered (Holocaust) and they look forward to better times ahead.
Many Jews see war as a last resort
They are fought in self-defence or by Gods command
Many stories of war like Joshua, Samson and King David

Religion
Buddhism

Peace and non-violence are central

Right action (8 fold path)
Violence destroys inner peace
First precept do not harm any living thing
Compassion for all makes war unacceptable
Theravada Buddhists believe you will suffer consequences
in the afterlife if you kill

Theravada Buddhists believe killing is always wrong

Mahayana Buddhists believe that killing is not always
wrong, for example saving the lives of the many
Buddhist countries have armies in self defence

Just War- acceptable under

certain criteria
The war must be fought for a JUST CAUSE the war
must be started for a good reason e.g. self-defence

A war is just if it is begun as the LAST RESORT,

all non violent means of solving the conflict must have
been tried and failed before you turn to war
There must be a REASONABLE CHANCE OF SUCCESS.

The war must be lawfully declared by a PROPER

AUTHORITY, a government or the United Nations.

You cannot go to war and waste the lives of brave soldiers

for something which you have very little chance of
winning, lives should not be wasted.

It must be fought with the intent to ESTABLISH GOOD,

or fought with good intention.
It must be fought to restore peace.

There must be CONTROLLED VIOLENCE. Every effort

must be made to make sure that as little violence as
possible is used to achieve victory and methods should
AVOID KILLING CIVILIANS, those not in the military
should not be harmed

The force used in the war must be PROPORTIONAL to

the cause.
It would not be proportional to drop a nuclear weapon on
a small country for invading a small island.
SUFFICIENT FORCE!

War must only occur is the GOOD OUTWEIGHS THE

EVIL that has lead to the war

Holy War

Victims of war
Red cross : A group that helps people suffering
in war. Helps with medical care for wounded
soldiers, protects civilians and helps prisoners
from the enemy side.
Red crescent Same as red cross, found in
Muslim countries, helps people suffering in war
All members of the movement are seen as
neutral. Their aims are to protect and ensure
respect for human life and health.
2005 states introduced the red crystal emblem- no religious/political

Religious believer
working for peace
Irena Sendler
Irena was a famous Christian as she used her beliefs to help people
during a time of war during 1939 (Germans invaded Poland)
She worked as a social worker around the time of the Holocaust.
Jews were being killed and treated badly.
She helped create false documentation
Offered Jews food and shelter
Irena went into the concentration camps to check children for diseases.
She managed to smuggle children out of the camps in suitcases/ boxes/
ambulances.
She was caught by the Nazis and then tortured but escaped death.
She was left with broken legs and arms but continued to work for the
Jewish children.
At the end of the war she tried to reunite the children with their families
Nominated for Nobel peace prize in 2007

Keeping the peace

United Nations (UN) A group set up at the
end of WW2 (the Holocaust) to try and
stop and future wars. Its aims are to help
countries cooperate with each other, social
progress, protection of human rights and world peace

NATO : A group formed to stop war in Europe.

Countries would stick together and support each
other if war broke out. Stands for North Atlantic
Treaty Organisation. Created in 1949. Now
USA and Canada are members.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) have been seen as the ultimate

deterrent.
Weapons of Mass Destruction: Weapons that can devastate
large areas and kill huge numbers of people.
WMD fall into three main categories:
(Conventional weapons do not contain these)
Nuclear Weapons (American on Japan)

Biological Weapons (bacteria and disease)

Chemical Weapons (Used in WWI, banned in 1925,
used by USA in Vietnam and by Iraq against Iran.
FOR
-Deterrent
-Would make a country
vulnerable without them

Against
-Pose a risk to humanity
-The spread of nuclear weapons make it
more likely that others might obtain them
-The destruction caused is never justified
-Goes against just war
-Religions oppose them