War and Pacifism
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Pacifism, whether adopted in a broad or narrow sense, is a relatively rare position. Although people may object to violence and war in specific circumstances, most are quite willing to allow or even to actively support its use in a wide variety of other situations. As a result, those who object to war and violence in principle and in general are regarded as highly unusual, if not highly suspect.
This points to an odd dichotomy in how pacifism and pacifists tend to be treated in society. On the one hand, those who have employed nonviolent techniques to great effectiveness (like Gandhi or Martin Luther King) are lauded as heroes and people we should strive to emulate. However, that is always in the context of goals which others have thought required violent rather than nonviolent response.
On the other hand, when someone objects to violence which we consider necessary, that person is often labeled naive at best, if not outright immoral or treasonous. Thus, it seems as though our own violent responses are always just and right, excluding the possibility of pacifism, while others' violent inclinations are readily replaced by nonviolent means of achieving the same goals.
So which is true about pacifism - is it a result of being naive, or of being committed to nonviolent principles? Is it an incredibly moral and difficult position to adopt, or is it rather a treasonous and uncaring philosophy? The truth is probably somewhere in between, which may explain why society can't quite decide how to react to pacifism and pacifist critiques of society's violence.
What is Pacifism?
The types of pacifism can be categorized in three different ways: scope, justification, and methodology. The scope of a person's pacifism has to do with how broadly the principle of nonviolence is applied, while justification has to do with the reasons offered for adopting principles of nonviolence in the first place. The methodology is a very different issue in that it is based upon how the pacifism is expressed.Christianity & Pacifism
It is curious that Christianity can have such strong pacifist tendencies while also being responsible for so much death and destruction throughout history. What can explain this dichotomy? Is Christianity a pacifist and peaceful religion, or is it rather a violent and warlike faith?Is Pacifism Treason?
The enormity and near-incomprehensibility of the terrorist attacks on the United States in September, 2001, provide a serious challenge to Christians' ethical and intellectual consistency. The question which they have to face is: should they support violent retaliation, or should they advocate peace? If they choose the latter, are they guilty of treason?Problems with Pacifism
Criticism of pacifism as being immoral or unserious certainly aren't valid (at least not for all pacifists). However, this doesn't mean that pacifism isn't without its problems. Pacifists may be taking what they regard as a morally sound stand, but that doesn't mean that they are correct. There are several valid criticisms of pacifism which supporters must be able to rebut.Quotes about War and Pacifism
A series of quotes dealing with the morality of war and pacifism. Some writers defend pacifism as the most moral course of action while others attack it as indefensible and even treasonous.
Related Issues
-->Unpatriotic Protests
Should protesters support our troops? Some say that protests during war are unethical and unpatriotic. Are protesters really ungrateful, or are their critics acting unethically and unpatriotically by trying to squelch dissent?
