Is World War II a blameless war, from the nonviolent Christians point of view?
Not at all, because World War II was not a just war, because the Allies insisted on unconditional surrender. In the Crusades, getting the Holy Land back was the goal, and any means could be used to achieve it. World War II was a crusade. The firebombing of Tokyo by Doolittle and the carpet bombing in Germany, especially by the British, showed that. Those actions were also not in keeping with just-war theory, since they involved the intentional killing of civilians. This weekend we’ll hear a lot about sacrifice, and it’s true, is it not, that those who fought did sacrifice themselves, if only for the spread of democracy? Yes, and that is why you see American flags in churches. The idea is that these people gave their lives. But that is not the same as Christian sacrifice. Jesus made the final sacrifice for all, and we need not make it again. This is not to take away from the soldiers, some of whom showed great bravery and attention to duty. As a pacifist, people always ask about Romans
