Just War?: Fighting Justly

The issue of just war isn't just on when Christians should fight, but on how they should fight. There is no justification for evil done in the name of good. Just war, according to Cole (see margin for book info), is an act of love. He starts by noting that acts of force can be loving by using the example of a parent punishing a child, even if the analogy is too simple. There is no place for evil in a just war. Augustine said, "...courage decides to endure evil rather than consent to evil" (p. 94), and yet Augustine believed in just war, not pacifism.

The two keys to fighting justly are Discrimination and Proportion. Discrimination is the granting of immunity to noncombatants. Noncombatants should not be killed intentionally. While such deaths are inevitable, intention should be determined by word and deed. If one can justify executing an operation whether or not there were civilians present or not, it seems likely that proper discrimination has taken place. And just because one can see that there will be civilian casualties does not mean it is one's intention to bring them about. One can see the challenges of determining "proper discrimination" in the Israeli-Hamas conflict in Gaza - at least from my limited knowledge of the conflict.

The second issue is Proportion. This asks, essentially, "Does the intended good outweith the potential consequences of the innocents killed?" This is the responsibility of every warrior.

Along these lines, Cole believes World War II to be just, but the saturation bombing and the atomic bomb unjust tactics. They crossed the line and were indiscriminate and actually targeted civilians. Cole goes on and recognizes the moral challenges of the Vietnam War, but does not fault US soldiers, apart from My Lai and like isolated events, for failing to discriminate their enemy from the civilians. The guerilla armies of the North Vietnamese made this task difficult and one can argue the soldiers did their best. He does question the justice of the war on the grounds that the South Vietnamese were not a country worth partnering with because they, too, were unjust. It may stand on the other points of just war. Finally, the 1991 Gulf War was just and the discrimination, while not perfect, was more perfect than any other modern war - by far.

Just War?: The Criteria for Just War

Cole lays out pretty simply “Why Christians Should Fight” in this chapter with some unacceptable options as well. The good reasons are pretty simple.

1. Proper Authority. You can’t declare war unless it is your place. There’s some disagreement among the different theologians whether revolution is acceptable or not.
2. Just Cause. This is the most difficult issue, I imagine. Self-defense and restoring what has been wrongfully seized are basic, but some of Augustine’s other reasons are debated by some. Tehse are: avenging wrongs and punishing an unjust nation.
3. Right Intention. Is the goal to advance the good and avoid evil? It should be.
War as the Only Way to Right the Wrong. This obviously has to be within reason as those opposed to war could always say there’s something else that can be done.
4. Reasonable Hope of Success. There are some reasons to surrender. It may be more responsible to live under the rule of another than to have your nation leveled.

One unacceptable reason people go to war (that some try to put off as good) is “Comparative Justice.” The idea is, it seems, it’s OK if we’re bad, so long as we’re not as evil as our enemy. But just war is not seeking to be less evil; it is a positive good and an act of love toward the neighbor flowing out of a relationship with God.

One more noteworthy issue is the idea that just war theory grew out of Christian nation-states and the current liberal state that does not favor a particular faith means just war cannot be applicable any longer. Regardless of their stance toward faith, Christians should not support a state that is engaged in an unjust war. Christians must either fight or protest passionately, depending on the justice of the war in question.

Do you find these criteria satisfying? How do they apply to the challenges we face as a nation?

Just War?: Virtue and Warfare

I’ll admit this is a pretty good book (When God Says War is Right by Darrell Cole), but that doesn’t mean I always track where he’s going or how he organizes his book. This chapter seems like it’s in an odd place, but it had good stuff. It’s essentially about the importance of spiritual formation in the lives of warriors. And yes, he argues, the church should be in the business of forming warriors.

The believer’s goal (again relying heavily on Aquinas and Calvin) is loving union with God; beatitude in Aquinas’ terms. Virtue helps the believer achieve that union and act properly in a given setting. The morally virtuous is the one who does so regularly. The four cardinal virtues are prudence (wisdom), justice (rendering each their due), courage (controlling passions that make us act unreasonably or fearfully), and temperance (controlling passions contrary to reason). All of these help a person love well, which is the ultimate point as we are in union with Christ. We ought to love like Him and our character is obedient to Him, functioning as He would function.

Given the development of these virtues, war is a positive good, not just a “necessary evil.” It is an act of love toward those who are being attacked and to your fellow soldiers to fight (there are concentric circles – at least as I understand it – of responsibilities of love). It would be unloving for a believer to avoid engaging a just war when it is called for.

Cole closes with the dismissal of Jesus’ meekness as a model for believers, according to Calvin. Simply put, Jesus’ ministry was priestly reconciliation and sacrifice that is not duplicated by believers. We cannot be a Savior, but we can follow the Father’s command to love our neighbors.

I can feel the tension here between loving your enemies meaning turn the other cheek and loving your neighbor meaning killing enemies who are harming them. Paradigms seem to have much to do with where one ends up on this issue.

Union 1812

I’m not going to blog it, but I thought I’d drop a note to give a recommendation for those who like reading history. Union 1812 by AJ Langguth was great (check the margin for an Amazon link). I don’t read as much US history as I’d like. I may not be the best critic or maybe I’ve chosen well, but I’ve loved all the books I’ve read over the last few years (1776 and John Adams by MacCullough; Alexander Hamilton by Chernow; Undaunted Courage by Ambrose).

I’m always impressed by the courage and characters of our early leaders. This was a great book for introducing me to people I had never known existed. I particularly enjoyed the naval leadership of Oliver Perry. Great book and definitely worth reading. Enjoy.

Just War?: War Based in God’s Character

Our author now sets out on the case for just war with a chapter called “Why Christians Use Force” and it is grounded in God’s character. God is a warrior in the Old Testament (Jer. 20.11; Zeph. 3.17) and the God of the NT is the same as the God of the OT. There is a progression of revelation, not a replacement of the OT God and the OT message. And if one reads Revelation, we see God as Warrior yet again.

The philosophy of just use of force is grounded in God’s character. God is not just loving, but he is just and righteous as well and His warlike characteristics are an expression of His justice, mercy, and love. Sometimes it is difficult to see how God’s love interacts with His wrath (see Joshua) and yet it comes together perfectly as we understand Jesus as the Suffering Servant (Isa. 52.13-53.12).

While Jesus does encourage the turning of the other cheek, the distinction lies in that we must not take personal vengeance, but we do not sacrifice justice. We will, however, sacrifice personal rights for the sake of love. I thought this was a good distinction. Cole states, “Jesus’ goal is to restrain personal retaliation, not to restrain political force, which is, after all, an agent of His Father’s wrath and love” (p. 43).

Calvin puts Romans 13 at the center of his theology of just war. God puts governments in place to secure God’s justice and righteousness in a fallen worldWar may be a result of sin (the Fall in Gen. 3), but it is not evil in itself. It actually restrains evil so people can enjoy God’s created world. . In a just cause, the soldier is a legitimate agent of God’s wrath for righteousness in the present situation. Calvin even calls it a “holy vocation” where soldiers are operating in a “God-like fashion” (p. 47). War is obviously not ideal; peace should be sought before going to war.

Cole gives a summary of “Why Christians Should Fight?” (pp. 48-49)

1. “Christians fight for justice because God is like that. … He uses force to check evil and to bring justice.”
2. “Because of sin, God uses force to work out His will for us,” which is “a product of His love.”
3. “Human political order is the structure God has given to encourage virtue and restrain vice.”
4. “Just war is something Christians do in this world out of loving obedience to God and in conformity with His ways.”

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Let's hope Seattle doesn't have another sports year like the last. Let's hope 2008 stays "The Worst Year Ever": http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=seattle2008


But, thankfully, there are more important things. May God bless you as we celebrate Jesus' birth and the life He offers. And may you have a wonderful New Year as well.

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