www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall "Just War" Theology in the East?

If it can be proved that Saddam Hussien (or anyone else) is manufacturing chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons for use by terrorists groups against the United States or our allies, then I believe the criteria for a just war are met. We can't say this until sufficient inpections/intelligence are completed in Iraq. We must play all our diplomatic cards also. War is the last resort.

Remember the United States has already been attacked on our own soil (9/11). The terrorist attacks also shed blood on the USS Cole and American embassies in Africa and Asia, and in the first terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

Osama Bin Laden has already declared war on the United States and our allies and has called for killing
any American (civilian and military) and our allies wherever it is possible to do so.

Terrorism must be fought. The difficult question is how.

I join others on this forum in prayer for peace.

I also believe that we must pray for wisdom and courage to fight terrorism.

Paul

Brother Paromer,

I tend to agree with you,usally the U.S of A is a non agressor,also that incident in Somalia in 1993 had ties to Bin Laden.

I would'nt be surprized if there are training bases in Irag for terrorists,maybe even Bin Ladens new address.

Relating to the so-called "just war theory," but not relating specifically to any given war or threatened war, I have a question:

BACKGROUND:

A two or three years ago, I heard a Byzantine bishop say that, though St. Augustine established the criteria for what is now known as the just war theory, St. Augustine himself wrote that in spite of the theory, there was no such thing as a just war. I enjoyed his talk and meant to ask him where I could find where St. Augustine indicated there is no such thing as a just war. I *finally* wrote this bishop nine or so months ago, but have yet to receive a response.

QUESTION:

Is anyone familiar with this information regarding St. Augustine? And, if so, can any point me to where he indicates that there is no such thing as a just war?

Thanks so much!

Kelly

Dear Kelly,

I can't answer your question directly.

I learned a lot about war issues in the US Catholic Bishops' pastoral letter on war and peace.

"The Challenge of Peace: God's Promise and Our Response."

Augustine and Aquinas are referenced. Also a lot of modern Popes and the 2nd Vatican Council.

The US Catholic Bishops web site is http://www.nccbuscc.org

You may be able to see it on-line or order it.

Peace.

The thing that bothers me most is that some Americans will never support me or my men in those far of lands so close to the Holy land.I feel like St John Chrysostom in his efforts to combat Aryanism in the capitol.People just dont have the desire to study all the facts.God loves his children and I feel that he also wants them defended
Sgt Rook 75 Rngr Reg.
former 3bn 5 MARINE

"The thing that bothers me most is that some Americans will never support me or my men in those far of lands so close to the Holy land."

You mention the Holy Land. In the first centuries, christians were engaged in the Cruzades agains the muslims and the control they had over the Holy Land. It could have been a "just war" because the cause was the liberation of the Christian Holy Land-Palestine from the muslims.

But now, it's very difficult to justify the war against Iraq or the Arab nations throught the faith. Actually Oraq or the Arab nations are not threatening christianity or seeking domination against christians (in fact, Iraq is quite tolerant its large christian chaldean minority), and certainly they do not control Palestine.

And I say this cause some people in the medias, and some politicians have tried to justify the war as a war in defense of christianity.

And the fact that the Holy Land was mentioned brings another thing to my mind... what about those who control the Holy Land now???? If the muslims were seen as enemies of Christianity because of this in the past, why do we have to support those who opress the Holy Land right now?

Whell you tell that to the Chaldean bodies that I burried in the sothern provadances.Only after I climbed down the well that they were thrown into.Men women and children.they lived for at least a week but the walls were to smooth for them to climb.We could tell because of the scratches.Did you know that the Kurdish in the north had a very strong christain community untill they were gassed.Armchair generals are the worst.How about Africa,Russia,China,Indonesia,India.Do I need to go on.When it comes to the holy land I dont see anyone jumpstarting their secular nation into any serious plan of action.We have Israel for that and as long as the tours are cheap and And we can turn off the tv so be it.

Dear Chad:

I have always been curious about the Kurds, is the christian community you mention the Assyrians christians? or are there ethnic Kurds among those christians? do you know what is their "denomination"?

The infamous dictatoriship in Iraq has tried to supress Assyrian national identity by creating an unexistent division between Chadeans and Assyrians, whose only particular difference is that the former are in communion with Rome, and the later are not. This works in a way that Saddam's police clasify the chaldeans as "Arab Christians" and the Assyrian as "Kurdish Christians", creating conflicts among them and separating them.

(However in the past the Kurds have made a lot of massachres agains christians, Syriacs and Assyrians. This is why christians would probably not be very happy with a Kurdish marxist regime there)

This is why some Chaldeans tell me that those Eastern Christians who know "identify" themselves as Kurds, are Assyrian. They also tell me that there are indeed ethnic Kurds who are christian but that they're all from the Latin Rite (In Brasov, a Romanian City, there's a community of Catholic Kurds, but they're all Latin).