Last week we discussed World War II and its ability
to represent a Just War and its influence on several accepted paradigms, such
as appeasement always being folly, which shape the interpretation of conflict.
The Vietnam War also became an illustration for
future conflicts. It is an example of an
immoral war fought for selfish and arrogant reasons, doomed to fail --perhaps
because it was immoral. The quotes below
illustrate the contextual legacy of WWII and the moral dilemma American Clergy
faced in response to an unjust War.
“History asks that question about the rise of Nazism
in the 1930s in Germany, and notes the failure of the churches to speak up
until it was too late” (Vietnam: Crisis of Conflict, 65)
“Christians who aimed to rebuild society on
Christian teachings faced enormous structural challenges. Too often the church deferred to secular
authority, namely, the nation-state and the narrow economic interests of
capitalists” (Klejment & Roberts, 155)
Post-Vietnam, does a Just War still exist? Is the
behaviour of the clergy in the readings a continuation of a moral
responsibility to be society’s conscience or a re-appropriation of that
responsibility?
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