Is a justified war ethical - Essay Example

historians and theologians depict them as holy wars fought to oust Muslim domination and regain control of Christian Holy Lands, while others portray the wars as a series of ruthless and intentional attacks by religious extremists (Guibert). The stance of the Church is that the Crusades were ethically justified. They heavily base their arguments on the ‘Just War Theory’ that was proclaimed by two of the Church’s most celebrated theologians – St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. The former was a renowned Catholic Bishop and theologian who lived in the 5th Century, author of many books of which ‘City of God’ and ‘Confessions’ are the most famous.

He is looked upon as the creator of the Just War Theory. His effect on Christian theology is so immense that his influence persisted from the time of the middle ages up to the current period (Crusade-Encyclopedia). St. Thomas Aquinas was a renowned Catholic priest, philosopher and theologian who lived in the 13th Century. He totally agreed with his 5th Century counterpart’s Just War Theory principles, adding that religious and philosophical truths do not oppose each other, but in fact each one complements the other, as they are nothing but two different sides of the same truth. St. Aquinas went on to add that perception power and thought were required to comprehend the many facets and workings of the Universe (Bbc.co.uk). St. Augustine’s Just War Theory states that in case of defending oneself solely and personally in matters related to life or material possessions, one does not have the right to take the life of another human being.

This train of thought follows the abstract idea of Christian charity which proclaims that if struck on the cheek, one should not retaliate likewise but instead exercise restraint and meekly ‘turn the other cheek’ to receive additional punishment. However, when it involved the good and safety of others the above principle ceases to hold relevance and one faces the moral