what do christians call a just war? Muslims call a just war a jihad and its the only kind of war muslims can?

Question

fight in. christians have been involved in many wars and christianity is a religion of peace so under what circumstaces does the bible say a war is justified? and what is this kind of war called?

Answer 1

Just War Theory of Sts. Augustine and Aquinas outline not only the guidelines for what makes a just war but how to conduct and end it. It must contain all to be considered a just war.

Jus ad Bellum
War is only acceptable from the standpoint of defense with specific guidelines as to what justifies defense:
1. there must be an aggressor actively attacking
2. the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;
3. all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;
4. there must be serious prospects of success to end the aggression;
5.The evaluation of these conditions for moral legitimacy belongs to the prudential judgment of those who have responsibility for the common good.
6. Resorting to the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.


Jus in Bellum
The specific guidelines within the actions of this defensive war must meet strict criteria or the war can no longer be considered just:
1. The Church and human reason both assert the permanent validity of the moral law during armed conflict. The mere fact that war has regrettably broken out does not mean that everything becomes licit between the warring parties

2. Non-combatants, wounded soldiers, and prisoners must be respected and treated humanely. Actions deliberately contrary to the law of nations and to its universal principles are crimes, as are the orders that command such actions. Blind obedience does not suffice to excuse those who carry them out. Thus the extermination of a people, nation, or ethnic minority must be condemned as a mortal sin. One is morally bound to resist orders that command genocide

3. Every act of war directed to the indiscriminate destruction of whole cities or vast areas with their inhabitants is a crime against God and man, which merits firm and unequivocal condemnation. A danger of modern warfare is that it provides the opportunity to those who possess modern scientific weapons -- especially atomic, biological, or chemical weapons -- to commit such crimes

The key to Just War in action is proportionality, using the minimum required force to achieve the objective of defense and also that non combatants and wounded and prisoners are not to be attacked anyway.

Jus Post Bellum

1. Just cause for termination - A state may terminate a war if there has been a reasonable vindication of the rights that were violated in the first place, and if the aggressor is willing to negotiate the terms of surrender. These terms of surrender include a formal apology, compensations, war crimes trials and perhaps rehabilitation.
2. Right intention - A state must only terminate a war under the conditions agreed upon in the above criteria. Revenge is not permitted. The victor state must also be willing to apply the same level of objectivity and investigation into any war crimes its armed forces may have committed.
Public declaration and authority - The terms of peace must be made by a legitimate authority, and the terms must be accepted by a legitimate authority.
3. Discrimination - The victor state is to differentiate between political and military leaders, and combatants and civilians. Punitive measures are to be limited to those directly responsible for the conflict.
4. Proportionality - Any terms of surrender must be proportional to the rights that were initially violated. Draconian measures, absolutionist crusades and any attempt at denying the surrendered country the right to participate in the world community are not permitted.

No 20th century war has been determined to meet the criteria of Just War, WWII is the only one that any plausible argument has been made for. . . but it's detractors note it did not achieve Jus in Bellum. As modern warfare has reached the destructive ability it has no war will meet the criteria of a Just War for Christians and therefore should not be fought by them.

Answer 2

A just war for christians: Definding thierselves against Jihadist. It would be nearly imposible to violate the terms of st agustines just war, consideriny the way IS is conduting jihasd today.nothing is more evil than what they are doing.

Answer 3

All religions not only christianity call for peace but all religions require that a person fights back attackers that attack his families his land. it gives followers the right to defend their legal rights followers should be strong and not run over. But you should never attack anyone and live in peace but if attacked don't be weak and fight back. This is jihad in Islam.

Answer 4

A just was is a war for self defence, and is called self defence in anyone's language.
The current civil war in The Sudan is genocide by Islam against the native Africans.

Answer 5

As far as I can tell, according to Jesus Christ (Who ought to know), there is no such thing as a "just war". War comes about as a result of sin.
Greed, and/or lust for power, would be the main culprits, would be my best guess.
It all seems so silly, doesn't it? I mean, if you believe God, then this earth is condemned real estate, anyhow, so why bother to argue over it?
Go figure.....

Answer 6

Just read the bible, especially the old testament... it's not a peaceful religion. "Thou shalt not kill" only applies contextually to other Jews and other believers. God commands his followers to kill scores of other civilizations such as the Midianites.

Hell, the biblical god also says to spare no one, and utterly kill every living thing in your enemies kingdom - man, woman, child, and animals. This is especially true of non-believers. You also have to kill anybody who tries to divert you from Yahweh.