Pacifism
What does pacifism mean to Catholics?
pacifistSomeone who is completely opposed to any kind of violence and will not participate in any aspect of war. reject all violence. They do not think that conflict should be dealt with by resorting to war. They think that other peaceful methods should be used.
The early Christians interpreted Jesus' commandmentA law or instruction believed to have been given by God. to mean that they could not fight in wars or be violent. In the Gospel of MatthewA writer of one of the four gospels in the New Testament., Jesus said:
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
They also look to the example of Jesus' life for further reasons to be pacifists. When the guards came to arrest Jesus he did not fight back and he commanded his discipleA person who follows and learns from someone else. to allow him to be taken.
Pacifists also use the teaching in the Ten CommandmentsThe list of rules, revealed by God to Moses, found in the Old Testament books of Exodus and Deuteronomy. The Bible refers to them simply as âsayingsâ or âstatementsâ. Also known as the Ten Sayings or the Decalogue. to justify their position. In Exodus it says:
Do not murder.
Today there are pacifists in most Christian denominationA branch of the Christian Church.. Some Christian denominations teach their members that pacifism is the only acceptable response to violence.
Conscientious objectors
In countries where there may be mandatory conscription into the military, conscientious objectorA person who refuses to fight in wars because of strong personal beliefs against war. may be assigned to a civilian role instead. The rights of conscientious objectors were upheld by the United Nations Human Rights CouncilA body that is concerned with promoting and protecting human rights for everyone. Before 2006, it was known as the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. (an international forum on human rights) in 1995.
Question
Explain what a pacifist would say about war.
A pacifist would state that war is wrong as a pacifist does not believe in violence in any situation. A pacifist would argue that all issues and conflicts can be ended through discussion and other peaceful methods such as peaceful protests. Catholic pacifists may argue that Jesus did not fight back when he was arrested, so they should follow that example in their lives.