IS (Islamic State) And The Just War Theory

In the face of brutal barbarities committed by the Islamic State (formerly known as ISIS) the Just War Theory is making a revival. Just War Theory was first formulated by the brilliant Christian thinker St. Augustine. Augustine lived in Roman North Africa about 400 A.D. (Approximately 200 years before the time of Mohammed.). Augustine thought deeply about the issues of war and peace. Basically, Augustine thought Christians should do everything humanly possible to avoid war.

But sometimes evil grows so strong and is so pervasive it must be countered by armed force. St. Thomas Aquinas, from the High Middle Ages, further developed the Just War Theory. Also, the Protestant Reformers Martin Luther and John Calvin endorsed the principles of the Just War.

There are five parts to this theory.

(1) We must be attacked. The Just War is a defensive war. A just war must be declared by a legitimate nation-state. Just war can never simply be about seeking revenge.

(2) Just war is always proportional. For instance, only combatants can legally be attacked. Women, children and civilians should be spared whenever possible. Contrast this with the tactics of IS. ISIS gleefully kills the weak, the very young and the elderly. All non-Muslims (Yezidis, Christians, Shia Muslims, Jews, Turkmen and Zoroastrians) are to be killed without mercy. Decapitations, stoning and crucifixions are the constant coin of their bloody regime.

(3) A just war should save more lives than it takes. If IS continues to grow and strengthen hundreds of thousands of totally innocent people will perish at the hands of these monsters. In the calculus of war it is better to kill 20,000 IS fighters than to see a half million innocents die.

(4) A just war should always be fought for some great moral principle. In this particular case, we in the West believe in the God-given sacredness of human life. We think this grand idea is worth defending. Radical, militant Muslims believe the term “human being” refers to only other Muslims. We infidels are considered to be less than human. Muslims teach we are filth. The accurate translation of the Arabic word for filth is the term excrement. We are fit only to be slaughtered as a ritual sacrifice to their bloody god Allah.

(5) The purpose of a just war is the establishment of peace and protection for all. This can only be accomplished by the complete extermination of the Islamic State terrorists. IS knows it is at war with America and threatens to come here to slaughter us. They are only one plane ticket way from fulfilling that threat. Meanwhile, our empty suit President continues to fiddle while IS plans to burn America.

Even Pope Frances has declared the use of force against IS to be licit. We must quickly and efficiently destroy the rabid dogs of the Islamic State before IS destroys our Judeo Christian civilization.