Theme D Flashcards
(21 cards)
Peace
The opposite of war; harmony between all in society
Christianity: “Blessed are the peacemakers”
Islam: “Say words of peace”
Justice
Bringing fairness back to a situation
Christianity: “Seek justice”
Islam: “Stand up firmly”
Forgiveness
Letting go of blame against a person for wrongs they have done
Christianity: “Forgive not seven but seventy seven times”
Islam: “forgive others and god will forgive you”
Reconciliation
Making up and rebuilding relationships between two groups/sides after a disagreement
Christianity: “God reconciled himself to us through Christ”
Islam: “Whoever makes reconciliation, his reward is from God”
“Violence is always wrong”
Evaluate this statement - AGREE
Agree:
- using violence harms you and Jesus taught “those who live by the sword”. Christians should resolve disputes and non-violent methods
- turn the other cheek- if someone strikes you, Jesus says to “turn to them the other cheek also”
- Christians should use weapons of love
- Imago Dei- Christians believe every human is made “imago dei” so they should be treated with respect and non violence as ll life is sacred and holy
Islam is a religion of peace- Muhammad Ali said “Islam is peace and not violence”
- All people are made by God- Surah 7 teaches “God created you from a single soul”, everyone is lovingly created by God and therefore should not be harmed
“Violence is always wrong”
Evaluate this statement- DISAGREE
Disagree-
- Jesus violently protested against the commercialisation of the temple. He “overturned the tables” of the money changes and the benches of those selling doves. This shows there are certain circumstances when Christians support violent protest
- violence may be justified for self-defence or to defend the religion, Surah 2 teaches “fight in the way of God those who fight you”
- violence may be justified in self defence
- violence may be justified as part of a “Just War” for example as a last resort
- Old Testament teaches “an eye for an eye”, suggest violence could be used for retribution or revenge
Reasons terrorism is viewed as wrong
Christianity:
- “Do not kill” 10 commandments
- All humans are made in the image of God- “Imago dei” Genesis
- “Live at peace with everyone”
Islam:
- “Do not kill yourself or others”
- “Do not take life which God has made sacred”
- “Islam is peace and not violence”
Oppose Violence
“Turn the other cheek” Jesus
- Jesus taught his followers to never use violence even in retaliation. Instead, Christians should “turn the other cheek”. Using violence causes further harm
“We must use the weapon of love” Martin Luther King Jr
- MLK was a Christian pacificist who believed that Christians should never use violence. Instead, Christians should use peaceful methods of protest e.g marches, boycotts, civil disobedience. He is a key case study for peaceful protest
“Whoever has killed a soul has killed all mankind” Qur’an
- Muslims believe that human life is sacred. Violence should be avoided because it could lead to the loss of human life which is wrong
Support Violence
“Fight in the way of God those who fight you” Qur’an
- The lesser Jihad is the outer struggle to defend Islam from external threat. This means violence could be used in self-defence
“Seek justice” Bible
- The Book of Isaiah teaches Christians to seek justice. Violent protest against injustice could be justified as a last resort, if peaceful means have not worked
“Eye for an eye” Bible
- Old Testament teaches Christians that you can take revenge on someone who has physically harmed you. This could permit violence against those who have been violent. This is a weak argument, because in the new Testament Jesus says to “turn the other cheek”
Terrorism
- use of violence and threats to intimidate others, used for political purposes to build fear in the ordinary population and to secure demands from the Government
Oppose terrorism- Christianity and Islam
“Whoever has killed a soul, it is as though he has killed all mankind” Qur’an
- Muslims believe in the sanctity of life : the belief that human life is sacred and holy. Taking innocent life is therefore seen as wrong and against the will of God
“Do not kill” 10 commandments, Bible
- Christians believe in the sanctity of life- the believe that human life is sacred and holy. Christians believe that they were all made “Imago dei” in the image and likeness of God. This means it is wrong to murder therefore terrorism is always wrong.
The Catechism of the catholic church says that terrorism “threatens wounds and kills indiscriminately, it is gravely against justice and charity”
War
any reasons justified:
- greed, retaliation, national pride, land
Impact of war: death, homelessness, economic ruin
Islam: lesser Jihad
“Fight in the way of God those who fight you, bit do not overstep the limits” Qur’an
“God is well aware of whatever good you do”
Responses:
- donating to Charites to help victims
- volunteering to deliver aid
- housing refugees
Christianity: Just war theory
- just cause, right intention, just cause, last resort
Quakers: completely oppose war
Jesus : “treat others as you would like to be treated” Golden rule in Bible
Just war theory
Set of rules for fighting in a war in a way believed to be justified and acceptable to God
Christianity:
- Catholics believe war can sometimes be justified- under “strict conditions” set out in Just war Theory. This was developed by St Thomas Aquinas and is used by the Catholic church today. It sets out “strict conditions” for when war is justifiable and rules for conduct during war
Right to war- Jus ad bellum: just cause, right intention, last resort
Rules of war- Jus in bello: innocent civilians not targeted, use of force might be proportionate
Islam:
The Quran teaches Muslims to “fight in the way of God those who fight you, but do not overstep the limits”. The Qur’an sets out conditions when war can be justified and how war should be conducted
This is known as Lesser Jihad- the external struggle to defend God/Islam from external threat
Rules for Lesser Jihad: include - civilians must not be targeted, cease fighting as soon as the enemy surrenders
Should Holy wars be fought in the 21 century
Evaluate this statement (12 marks)
OPPOSE
War believed to be sanctioned by God
Oppose-
Christianity- Jesus taught to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”..This means that Christians should never use violence even against those who attach them. Instead, you must “turn the other cheek”. Christians should forgive and work for reconciliation. This suggests that war is always wrong
Islam- Prophet Muhammad said “we have finished the lesser Jihad;now we are starting the greater jihad”
Some Muslims think this mean Holy War is no longer necessary in todays world. This is because there are not protections in place such as freedom of religion which is guaranteed under international war. Therefore, Muslims can now focus on Great Jihad
Should Holy wars be fought in the 21 century
Evaluate this statement (12 marks)
AGAINST
Christianity- “you must destroy them totally” Bible
This teaching could suggest Holy War is justifiable in certain situations. God will help you defend your enemies. Must be declared by legitimate authority
However, this may be seen as a weak argument because this teaching applied to a specific situation thousands of years ago cannot justify war today
Islam: “Fight in the way of God those who fight you, but do not overstep the limits” Qur’an
This teaches Muslims that they can fight in Holy wars that are in defence of God and Islam. They are certain rules such as not targeting innocent civilians to cease fighting as soon as the enemy surrenders
Pacifism
OPPOSE
Pacifism- belief that all violence is wrong which then affects all behaviours
Christianity- “eye for an eye” Bible
- Christians could be justified in taking revenge. This means you can fight back against your enemies if you are attacked by them- pacifism is wrong
Christianity- “submit to the governing authorities” St Paul- Christians should support their governments war efforts
Islam- “fight in the way of God those who fight you” Qur’an
- The lesser Jihad means fighting in defence of God/ The Islamic religion. This means there are times when violence and war may be necessary. There are rules around this e.g innocent civilians should not be targeted
Pacifism
SUPPORT
Christianity- “turn the other cheek” Jesus
- Jesus taught Christians to pray for those who persecute them and love their enemies. He encouraged his followers to turn the other cheek- this means that you should not use violence, even if your attacked
Christianity- “We must use the weapon of love” Martin Luther King Jr
- Martin Luther King Jr was a Christian pacifist who believe that it is always wrong to use violence. Instead, Christians should follow Jesus’ example and only use “love”. Martin Luther King Jr taught to “pursue peaceful ends using peaceful means” violence and war can never be justified
Weapons of Mass destruction
OPPOSE
- Weapons which cause widespread indiscriminate damage
Christianity- “do not kill” 10 commandments - the use of Nuclear weapons would lead to the mass loss of innocent life. A nuclear war could lead to mutually assured destruction and the loss of all human life. Pope Benedict XVI said that “in a nuclear war there would be no victors, only victims”
- Do not meet all Just War criteria for rules of war. For example they lack a reasonable chance of success leading to mutually assured destruction
Islam- “God has appointed you his stewards” Hadith
- Nuclear weapons would not just destroy human life but all life and the planet. Muslims believe that they all have been appointed by God to be “Khalifahs” (stewards). They should care for creation, not destroy it with nuclear war
Weapons of Mass Destruction
SUPPORT
Christianity - “eye for an eye” Bible
Christians might support WMD as a deterrence. This means that we possess them to deter other countries from using theirs- we would only use them in retaliation, which is supported by this teaching
- “Submit to the governing authorities” St Paul
- Christians might support their government having WMD if that will keep the country safe, as a deterrent. St Paul taught Christians to support their government decisions
Islam:
“Fight in the way of God those who fight you” Qur’an
- The Qur’an teaches Muslims they can fight in self-defence. This could support using WMD in retaliation to their use. However Surah 2 also says “do not overstep the limits” WMD may also be seen as disproportionate and therefore wrong
Religion and peacemaking in Christianity
peacemaking- working to bring about peace and reconciliation
Christians:
- in his sermon on the mount, Jesus teaches Christians: “Blessed as the peacemakers” - this inspires Christians to work for peace
- St Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans to “live at peace with everyone” this encourages Christians to work for peace in the world
- Christians would forgive those who gave caused harm and seek to bring about reconciliation in order to restore peace. Jesus taught to “forgive not seven but seventy seven times” Bible, demonstrating the importance of forgiving those who have caused harm
Christian charity Tearfund promote peacebuilding around the world
Religion and peacemaking in Islam
- The Qur’an teaches Muslims to “say words of peace” this encourages Muslims to work for peace in the world
- In the Hadith, Prophet Muhammad teaches “whoever makes reconciliation is rewarded by God”. This illustrates the importance of working for reconciliation in order to restore peace
Islamic relief UK- work to promote peace and build social cohesion. Their Islamic faith inspires them to promote peacemaking around the world
