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Reasons for War

Useful Defitions

Reasons​

Greed​

Greed can cause countries to invade others to control resources, such as land or oil. For example, in 1990 Iraq invaded Kuwait for its oil, and in 2022 Russia started an invasion of Ukraine for its land and rich reserves.

Christian View

Christianity warns against greed:

The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil

Buddhist View

Greed is one of the Three Poisons and therefore is not a justification for war.

Self defence​

Self defence is when a country fights against the country attacking them. Most people consider this to be a just and morally acceptable reason for war. For example, Ukraine is defending itself from Russian invasion.

Christian View

There is nothing in the New Testament to justify self defence, but most Christians believe it is justified as a last resort.

Buddhist View

Some Buddhists believe that violence is never justified, but some believe it is justified to take a life to save a life of a loved one.

Retaliation​

Retaliation is when a country takes revenge on aggresssors. It is often a spontaneous reaction that leads to escalation, so most religions prefer peaceful negotiations to resolve issues. For example, the USA retaliated against the Taliban after the 9/11 Attacks.

Christian View

Christian teachings are against retaliation:

Do not repay anyone evil for evil

— Romans 12:17

Buddhist View

Retaliation is motivated by hatred, which is one of the Three Poisons. They believe it feeds the cycle of violence and increases suffering for all.

Just War Theory​

Just War Theory is a theory developed by Saint Thomas Aquinas to decide whether a war is justified or not. There are two parts to it:

Jus ad bellum​

This decides whether the country can go to war. It requires:

  • Competent authority: The war must be initiated by a democratically elected government
  • Probability of success: The goals of the war must be achievable to prevent unnecessary war. For example, a small country like New Zealand should not try to invade the USA.
  • Last resort: The war must be as a last resort and all other methods have been tried and have failed
  • Just cause: It must be for a just cause, not just for greed or retaliation. Innocent lives must be in danger.

Jus in bello​

This says how countries in war should act:

  • Distinction: Attacks must not be against civilian targets
  • Proportionality: Excessive force shouldn't be used. For example, weapons of mass destruction shouldn't be used against small militaries
  • Military necessity: An attack must be necessary and help defeat the enemy
  • Fair treatment of prisoners of war: Prisoners of war must be treated fairly, e.g. they should not be tortured.
  • No evil methods: Warfare methods considered evil should be used. For example, nuclear or biological weapons.