by James Glaser
October 29, 2002

The Catholic Just War Doctrine was first enunciated by Saint Augustine of Hippo in about 400 AD. Later on it was taught by Saint Thomas Aquinas way back when there were no planes, bombs, submarines, rockets, chemical or biological weapons nor atomic bombs.

For President George Bush to take out this Catholic doctrine from antiquity and try to justify a modern war is nothing but a dishonest joke. President Bush doesn't even believe in Saints, he isn't a Catholic.

If you want to really go by this Catholic doctrine then be aware that one of the first thing it says is, "All citizens and all governments are obliged to work for the avoidance of war." So much for the Bush Doctrine of "First Strike."

But really to take a document that was written that long ago when war was totally different, is wrong. Neither Saint Augustine nor Saint Thomas had any idea of the destructive power of the twenty first century.

Back when this Just War Doctrine was written the Catholic Church could admonish the Kings of every country that "the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated." The use of modern weapons makes this all but impossible.

The United States tells the world that it does everything possible so that innocent people are not hurt in a war. That worked when Armies met each other on the "field of battle." Now weapons are so destructive that just one miscalculation can kill hundreds and it happens in each and every modern war.

In war after war America regrets those innocent people getting killed, but America continues to kill those innocent people in every war. Killing innocent people is now part or every war.

That "Just War Doctrine" has no relevance in today's wars, with the modern weapons that nations can turn on each other. The Just War Doctrine was written for a different time and different way of waging a war. President Bush is grasping at straws, looking for any justification to attack other countries. Now, he will even listen to the teaching of the Saints if it will help him in his quest for the false glory of war.