Just War: When Is It Right To Go to War?

by Severino Aquino

The CBSNEWS has reported in their daily latest news as of July 28, 2013 that “North Korea puffs out its chest 60 years after war’s end.” The country has mired in problem puts on display reminiscent of Cold War era to mark it calls victory of “Fatherland Liberation War.” The other news is about Egypt must "step back from the brink." The U.S secretary of state condemns recent violence in Cairo, call for entering government to respect right of protesters.[1]This is only few of much news about war that has been happening around the globe. If we are aware of it, this might alarm us of the harm that people might inflict to those people involved. Whether we like it or not the lives of these many innocent civilians including those military, police, and the militants involved are at stake. One of the terrorist’s attacks that were recorded in history was the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack of the Twin tower in US. “CNN and other television networks were quickly to focus their cameras on the disaster, enabling untold numbers of viewers to witness the second jetliner as it banked into the south tower 18 minutes later, blowing a cloud of flame and debris out the other side.”[2] This attack had ended many innocent lives, and recorded as “one among the great calamities of American history, a day of infamy like Pearl Harbor, Oklahoma City, Lockerbie.”[3] The reported people that were killed are 3,000, and more than 400 casualties were police officers and firefighters, and over 10,000 people were treated for injuries.”[4] How does the government respond in such situation like this? Can they do something to fight back whichever country did this to them? Yes, they did when the government announces war against Afghanistan. However, was their response just? Did 9/11 provide moral Justification for the war in Afghanistan?

The “just war view” has this to say about war. Not all evil can be avoided. We must clear that an ethical position, such as the just war theory or any alternative to it, is an ideal that is normative for all people as to how they ought to act and what they should intend. It does not try to justify war. Rather it tries to bring war under the control of justice. It also insists that private individuals have no right to use force. Thus, just war focuses on the following:  Just cause, Just intention, Last resort, formal declaration, limited objectives, proportionate means, and non-combatant immunity. [5] Then, Just War is more on the defense rather than aggression.

Biblical perspectives about just war can be found in the following passages in the Bible such as Deut 7:1–2; 13:12–16. This also applies directly to foreign nations and peoples. They were to be “utterly” destroyed. The last section from Deuteronomy, while pertaining to affairs within Israel, nevertheless in warlike imagery shows a command of God to utterly destroy an entire city. The right to use arms is accorded to the civil authorities ((Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-14). The government is divinely commission to restrain and punish evil doers. In addition, we have to understand that the passage pertains directly to matters of criminal justice and the civil order and only by extrapolation to international conflict. Furthermore, the context concerns the law of love with its repudiation of vengeful action, its concern for those who suffer, including ones enemies, and its pursuit of peace.[6]

In conclusion, it seems to be that there is sufficient warrant in Scripture for both "just cause" and "just means." But as a church we must apply wisdom to each case of warfare to determine if our involvement in the war is justified. However, we also have caution ourselves that as a citizen since we have only rarely access of the complete picture of what is happening around us. Nonetheless, we have to understand that it is possible for a wise Christian both to love his enemy and to use force against him, if necessary.

In this cruel age, how should Christians act? Should they under action and participate in the fighting? Is it better to fight than not to fight? Could participation in war perhaps be a lesser evil than allowing aggression and terror to go uncheck and unpunished?   

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        [1]Kerry, article (http://www.cbsnews.com/world/, accessed July 28, 2013)

        [2] Serge Schmemenn, Hijacked Jets Destroy Twin Towers and Hit Pentagon, article (http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0911.html, accessed July 28, 2013)

        [3] Ibid

        [4] 11 Facts About 9/11, article (http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-911, accessed July 28, 2013)

        
       [5] Robert G. Clouse, ed., War: Four Christian Views, New ed. (Downers Grove, Ill.: Intervarsity Pr, 1991), 118-135. 

       [6] Ibid