Catholic Just War Theory and Iraq

Introduction

In today's political landscape, in the United States the idea of Christianity's Just War Doctrine has all been but completely abandoned. Neither of the two principal parties feels a need to apply these principles to their decision making. In fact, many of those who have espoused their political beliefs with supposed Christian religious beliefs are the worst offenders. This is true for Catholic politicians in both leading parties, but is perhaps more disheartening is those Catholics that call themselves “Republican” or “conservative” (Walzer, pp. 251).

Discussion

These Catholics, more than those on the other end of the political spectrum, claim to be fully in line with the teaching of the Church's Magisterium and paint their ideas on foreign policy and war as being just that. The idea, then, enters the popular mind that traditional minded Catholics who would like to consider themselves fully in communion with Rome must somehow accept the idea that we as a nation start preemptive, undeclared, and ultimately unjust wars. Paragraph 2309 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

The absolute conditions for legitimate defense by military force require thorough consideration. The gravity of such a decision makes it subject to severe conditions of moral legitimacy. At one and the same time:

1.the harm caused by the assailant on the country or society of nations must be permanent, serious, and definite;

2.all other resources of concluding it must been exposed to be unreasonable or unproductive;

3.there must be solemn projection of triumph;

4.the exercise of weapons must not bring into being troubles and chaos graver than the wickedness to be abolished. The power of modem resources of devastation reflects very profoundly in assessing this stipulation (Smit, pp. 67).

These are the traditional elements enumerated in what called the “just war” doctrine. The evaluation of these conditions for moral legitimacy belongs to the prudential judgment of those who have responsibility for the common good.

The principles above ought to be considered for all military action and violated by just about all contemporary and recent instances in which our military been deployed. Looking at our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, our military involvement and material support in places like Libya and South Ossetia, and the current war-propaganda machine drumming up support for military action in the future, most notably against Iran, we see a complete disregard of Catholic and traditional Christian teaching on war (Ryan & Kiely, pp. 121). To make the point, these principles need thorough examination taken from the Catechism in regards to the war in Iraq, which most of the Catholic politicians referred to above supported.

The Strict Conditions for Legitimate Defense by Military Force Require Rigorous Consideration

The first, obvious point on our initial and continued involvement in the country of Iraq is that it was and is not a war of defense, legitimate or otherwise. The nation of Iraq not attacked the United States and seemingly had no plans to do so. In fact, had they even wished to do so, the event would be quite unlikely ...