Category Archives: war

Fighting for the Luxury and Wealth of Others

Posted on November 4, 2019 by Matthew Phillips

 “‘Those savage beasts,’ said he, ‘in Italy, have their particular dens, they have their places of repose and refuge; but the men who bear arms, and expose their lives for the safety of their country, enjoy in the meantime nothing … Continue reading →

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God-given Rights

Posted on January 15, 2018 by Matthew Phillips

“All men are made in the image of God. All men are brothers. All men are created equal. Every man is an heir to a legacy of dignity and worth. Every man has rights that are neither conferred by, nor … Continue reading →

Posted in Christ, Martin Luther King Jr, preaching, war | Tagged | Leave a comment

Augustine on Just War

Posted on February 8, 2017 by Matthew Phillips

“What is the evil of war? Is it the death of some who will soon die in any case, that others may live in peaceful subjection? This is merely cowardly dislike, not any religious feeling.  The real evils in war … Continue reading →

Posted in Augustine of Hippo, justice, virtue, war | 4 Comments

Exchanging Tyrants

Posted on November 8, 2016 by Matthew Phillips

“This is clear at once to the dullest-witted man in Rome that, so far from having escaped from tyranny, they had only exchanged one tyrant for another.  As for the elder Marius, he had always had a savage character, and … Continue reading →

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He Scatters the Peoples Who Delight in War

Posted on July 11, 2016 by Matthew Phillips

“It is not right to start a war just because some silly lord has gotten the idea into his head. At the very outset I want to say that whoever starts a war is in the wrong.  And it is … Continue reading →

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Sallust on the Danger of Using Force

Posted on May 27, 2016 by Matthew Phillips

“Of these various paths to fame, it seems to me that the holding of civil and military posts, and indeed all political activities, are in these days the least desirable.  For the deserving do not obtain the honours of office; … Continue reading →

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Dr Luther on the Soldier’s Obedience and Just War

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Matthew Phillips

“A second question: ‘Suppose my lord were wrong in going to war.’  I reply: If you know for sure that he is wrong, then you should fear God rather than men, Acts 4 [5:29], and you should neither fight nor … Continue reading →

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Cicero on Just War

Posted on December 12, 2015 by Matthew Phillips

“Something else that must very much be preserved in public affairs is the justice of warfare.  There are two types of conflict: the one proceeds by debate, the other by force. Since the former is the proper concern of a … Continue reading →

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Dr. Luther on War and Peace

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Matthew Phillips

“It is indeed a splendid and needful thing to build strong castles against one’s enemies; but that is nothing when compared with the work of a prince who builds a stronghold of peace, that is, loves peace and administers it. … Continue reading →

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