Are war and murder the same thing?

Question

I am a youth worker and have been asked this question by one of the kids, I was stumped as i dont really know what i feel about it, so i'm after other peoples opinions on this. If you could explain your answers that would be really cool. Cheers x

Answer 1

Brilliant question. Many Western thinkers (from St Augustine to St Thomas Aquinas) have pondered the question and come up with the doctrine of "just war". It holds that war is just if and only if it is to recapture things taken or punishing those who have done grave wrong. Furthermore, it must be conducted after all diplomatic avenues have been exhausted and must be ordered by legitimate authority.

Think about Hitler during WWII. He clearly rejected all attempts at appeasement before he conquered Poland and Czechoslovakia. The Allies had to respond militarily to counter his aggression. There is no way that diplomacy would have worked. He was hell bent on dominating Europe. The Allies had to commit murder, but they had no other choice.

So, yes in the strict sense of the word, war is murder but you may see it is as a necessary evil to put down a greater evil. Sometimes, you have to carry a gun to put down a gun.

Answer 2

If I was a man of the cloth, i would say yes. However, since that is not the case, I think the best analogy might be that it is like a gang war with really cool weapons, and they are fighting for turf or a principle. Once the gangs start killing those who aren't wearing "colors" (uniforms) though, I would consider them to be committing murder, although they would call it "collateral damage". War is one of many things we humans have concocted that brings shame upon our species.........

Answer 3

Well I could go to war and defend you, do you class that the same as perhaps someone breaking into your house and murdering you for money. It's a bit worrying that your in charge of children and needed to ask the question.

Answer 4

If you are shooting someone you are killing them. Now we can get in to whether it was self-defense, an accident or you're just really angry and want to shoot the 'enemy'. I do consider bombing an area where civilians live as an act of murder not an act of war. War usually involves murder on both sides in some form of the equation.

Answer 5

Defensive war is not a murder.....but then invading some country and killing people there is a murder........becuase when we look at the history , there have been no valid reasons of initiating a war. i better rephrase that there is no justification of attacking any country ! this is all about politics and Innocent public has to suffer in regard to such politics and thats definitely a murder..........Like "War" is a legal term for "murder"/

Answer 6

No. War is to fight for freedom.
Murder is done with mallice.
There is definitely a difference when you think about what is in their hearts. God looks into the heart of a person.

Answer 7

Not really. Murder is illegal killing with premeditation. War in self-defence can be justified as the lesser of two evils.

Answer 8

Yes war and murder are the same thing.

Answer 9

Sometimes. Sometimes not. War is global-scale conflict, and as in the case with personal conflict, some killing in self-defense, some is not.

Answer 10

I personally believe it is. When you go to war you are prepared for taking someone elses life away, just as they are prepared to take your life. You go out with that in mind, it is therefore premeditated.