Polyptych of Saint Augustine by Piero della Francesca, 1454 (Oil and tempera on panel)
"God will not suffer man to have the knowledge of things to come; for if he had prescience of his prosperity, he would be careless; and understanding of his adversity, he would be senseless," wrote Saint Augustine. We took a quickie online quiz and found that we are he:
You love to study tough issues and don't mind it if you lose sleep over them. Everyone loves you and wants to talk to you and hear your views, you even get things like "nice debating with you." Yep, you are super smart, even if you are still trying to figure it all out. You're also very honest, something people admire, even when you do stupid things.
If only. Fun, though, to think about. As with astrology, we read into -- and try to fit ourselves into -- the results of these quizzes. Go here to find out What Christian theologian are you?
[via Sirman on the Mount]
Update: Our sister, opposite side of the coin, turns out to be Augustine, too. Then she tried taking the test with the answers she would have given as a teenager. Still Augustine. Once an Augustine, always an Augustine?
According to Wikipedia, "Augustine's writings helped formulate the theory of just war":
"Just war" is a term to characterise a war as being permissible according to a set of moral or legal rules. The rules applied may be ethical, religious, or formal (such as international law). The rules classically cover the justification for the war (Jus Ad Bellum) and the conduct of the participants in the war (Jus In Bello).
Just war theory has ancient roots. Cicero discussed this idea and its applications. Augustine of Hippo and Thomas Aquinas later codified a set of rules for a just war, which today still encompass the points commonly debated, with some modifications.
In modern language, these rules hold that to be just, a war must meet the following criteria before the use of force:
War can only be waged for a just cause, such as self-defense against an armed attack.
War can only be waged under legitimate authority. The sovereign power of the state is usually considered to be legitimate authority. This means that citizens at their own will cannot attack another country without the permission of the sovereign.
War can only be waged with the right intention. Correcting a suffered wrong is considered a right intention, while material gain is not. Thus a war that would normally be just for all other reasons would be made unjust by a bad intention.
War can only be waged with a reasonable chance of success. It is considered unjust to meaninglessly waste human life and economic resources if defeat is unavoidable.
War can only be waged as a last resort. War is not just until all realistic options which were likely to right the wrong have been pursued.
Once war has begun, just war theory also directs how combatants are to act:
The force used must be proportional to the wrong endured, and to the possible good that may come.
The acts of war should be directed towards the inflictors of the wrong, and not towards civilians caught in circumstances they did not create. Some theologians believe that this rule forbids weapons of mass destruction of any kind, for any reason (such as the use of an atomic bomb).
Torture, of combatants or of non-combatants, is forbidden.
Prisoners of war must be treated respectfully.
A just war is determined by how the victors act afterward. I believe that Machiavelli advised his king to kill his enemies and then behave like a goodly prince afterward. That appears our current leader's goal against those who wish us dead.
Posted by: goomp | July 10, 2004 at 03:47 PM
Aquinas's writings on war can be read at:
http://www.newadvent.org/summa/304001.htm
A lot of people have used just war theory to criticize the war in Iraq on the grounds that the war was not one of self-defense and that it was not the last resort. Note, however, that Aquinas does not make self-defense a necessary requirement for going to war. Rather he approvingly quotes Augustine:
"A just war is wont to be described as one that avenges wrongs, when a nation or state has to be punished, for refusing to make amends for the wrongs inflicted by its subjects, or to restore what it has seized unjustly."
Self-defense is _one_ reason for going to war, but it is not the only one.
Nor does Aquinas formulate a doctrine of last resort; a war is prima facie just if the reason for war is just, and we can have such a reason even if there are other things that we can do against a nation, e.g., economic sanctions, resolutions.
Posted by: Bill Ramey | July 10, 2004 at 03:59 PM