Strategic Pacifism Essay
As a Christian, it is a requirement to be committed to pacifism. This is rooted in Jesus’ teaching to love your neighbor and bless the peacemaker. Therefore, we must follow in Jesus’ footsteps in an attempt at peace. Specifically, it is required to be a strategic pacifist, not necessarily an absolute one. Strategic pacifism is the belief that violence is to be rejected because it causes bad outcomes instead of being because it is intrinsically wrong (Allman 65). A strategic pacifist believes in the rejection of violence because of harmful consequences not because it is inherently wrong. This relates to Christianity because Jesus taught to love your neighbor and to have mercy but at the same time loving your neighbor May involve doing
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Today’s world is much more complex and multidimensional than the world was thousands of years ago. Therefore, realism is not consistent with the Gospels nor the tradition as we live in a world that is untraditional and one that has evolved since their writings. We must be realistic in trying to apply Christian ethical thought as it is not as black and white as it is thought to be. There are people who are inherently evil where absolute pacifism won’t solve problems but only make matters worse. We should use both the teachings of the Gospels/tradition and pair them with realistic thought in order to efficiently and successfully apply Christian ethics to our everyday lives. The world is ever changing and so should be the way we love our faith.
The stance that most closely aligns with my personal perspective on pacifism is strategic pacifism. I align with strategic pacifism because I believe that violence isn’t necessary to solve a problem and may make matters worse although violence isn’t always wrong and in certain situations it is necessary. I believe that the harmful consequences of violence are the reason for choosing a peaceful approach to a situation. But, I do not believe that violence is always wrong and immoral, instead I believe that it is justified in certain
Today’s world is much more complex and multidimensional than the world was thousands of years ago. Therefore, realism is not consistent with the Gospels nor the tradition as we live in a world that is untraditional and one that has evolved since their writings. We must be realistic in trying to apply Christian ethical thought as it is not as black and white as it is thought to be. There are people who are inherently evil where absolute pacifism won’t solve problems but only make matters worse. We should use both the teachings of the Gospels/tradition and pair them with realistic thought in order to efficiently and successfully apply Christian ethics to our everyday lives. The world is ever changing and so should be the way we love our faith.
The stance that most closely aligns with my personal perspective on pacifism is strategic pacifism. I align with strategic pacifism because I believe that violence isn’t necessary to solve a problem and may make matters worse although violence isn’t always wrong and in certain situations it is necessary. I believe that the harmful consequences of violence are the reason for choosing a peaceful approach to a situation. But, I do not believe that violence is always wrong and immoral, instead I believe that it is justified in certain