One of the great failures of American Christianity is our consistent failure to hold officials of both parties accountable to moral principles and standards when they send Americans into harm’s way. I understand how ridiculous it sounds to talk about war in moral terms. However, society – as well as various religions including Christianity – have determined via “Just War Theory” how to make war “less immoral.” For example, under “Just War” theory, war is only considered “just” or “moral” in very limited circumstances (such as self-defense if invaded, or to prevent genocide, to cite a few examples). Most people – and most religions, will agree that war is a “moral” or “just” response in such limited cases.
Just war theory has other key aspects to include “right intention.” This means the purpose of the war is not for revenge or conquest (such as seizing Greenland merely because Trump covets it). The purpose of the war must be to end the invasion or attacks on your country by the other country (peace as the goal) or justice (stopping genocide, for example). Another requirement for a “just war” is that all peaceful options have been exhausted. Thus, war must be the “last resort.”
Proportionality is another requirement of a “just war.” For example, a single group of missile strikes on an adversary would be an appropriate response to a minor one-time violent incident. A major land invasion and war could be seen as an inappropriate, and therefore an unjust, response. In addition, for a war or military activity to be considered “just” it must also have been declared by a legitimate governing body, and have a reasonable chance of success.
American Christians have too often gone along with our government whenever it engaged in war and war-like activities (such as mining the harbors of Nicaragua, overthrowing the legitimate governments of Haiti and installing puppet governments for the express purpose of benefiting US businesses in the area who then raided the treasury of Haiti, etc).
It is hard to argue that most any war since WWII or military action the US has engaged in since WWII – with the possible exception of the war in Korea and the war in Afghanistan – could be considered a “just war” from a moral perspective or from a Christian perspective when we use just war criteria.
Too often, American Christians have defended the status quo.
Jesus opposed it.
It is to the greatest shame of American Christianity that many of our best-known religious leaders of the 20th Century were virtually silent on the morality of US military actions post-WWII, or supported them. Billy Graham supported the war in Vietnam but looking back, it is hard to describe the US Military action in Vietnam as a “just war” in light of the now-known lies about the Gulf of Tonkin attacks and the revelations of the Pentagon Papers.
Now the U.S. is engaged in military action in Iran.
I have not heard any prominent American ministers raise concerns about these attacks on moral grounds. It’s as if a majority of US Christian leaders are too cowardly to take stands that may be unpopular with their congregations.
This leads to the U.S. being more likely to engage in another unjust and unnecessary war. War must always be avoided unless there is a clear moral and legal justification for sending Americans into harm’s way. U.S. military violence in Iran is a violation of both international law and moral/religious concerns related to just war theory. Worse, Trump has demonstrated that he has no concern or plans for post-Iran attacks, which will likely mean there will no significant change in Iran’s government beyond replacing one authoritarian despot with another authoritarian despot. Apparently, Trump has not thought that far in advance.
As an aside, a fascinating trait of Just War Theory – when actually argued – is just how successful theologians on both sides of a conflict always manage to ascribe “just war” traits to their side of the conflict, while insisting the other side in the conflict is waging an unjust war.
Christians in the United States must guard against this tendency.
The motto of a large Christian university in the United States is “Christian Leadership to Change the World.” One way we change the world is by holding elected officials to account to moral principles, before we allow them to send our nation’s youth into harm’s way.
How many Americans must die because of American Christianity’s silence of wars that are clearly illegal under both international law and under the principles of Just War Theory?
Find me also @beauxbonhoeffer.bsky.social and at beauxbonhoeffer.com
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