What is Pacifism? (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062))

Examples of Pacifism

What is Pacifism?

• A Pacifist is a person who believes that war and violence can never be justified and that conflicts should be settled in a peaceful way

• Pacifists strongly believe that it is best to work to prevent war from happening

• Promoting justice and human rights is an important part of this

• They will not participate in any war, regardless of the reasons for that war

• All religions teach the importance of peace on Earth and encourage their followers to live peacefully

• Throughout history, there have always been people prepared to refuse to use violence or fight in wars, even if it meant they faced imprisonment for their beliefs

• Conscientious objectors are people who refuse to participate directly in fighting wars on the grounds of conscience

  • They will assist in non-military ways such as medics, relief work and mediators

Religious Pacifist Organisations

Religious Pacifist Individuals

• In 1976, Mairead Corrigan, a Catholic from Northern Ireland, together with Betty Williams and Ciaran McKeown, became peacemakers when they formed the ‘Peace People’ organisation

  • They organised peace marches throughout the UK that gave people the opportunity to show they wanted peace, rather than the violence and killings that were a tragic feature of Northern Ireland at that time

  • Mairead and Betty were awarded the 1976 Nobel Peace Prize for their peace-making activities

  • After the Northern Ireland troubles were largely resolved and peace returned to the country

• Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Christian living in Germany during the rise of the Nazi party

  • He believed in Pacifism and helped found the Confessing Church which spoke out against the human rights abuses of the ruling Nazis

  • As the war continued, he believed even more strongly that helping the oppressed was a test of faith

  • He defied Nazi rule by helping Jews escape the death camps and also worked to overthrow the Nazi party

  • Eventually, even though he opposed all killing, he felt that he had to be prepared to sacrifice his principles and even his life, and joined a group that planned to assassinate Hitler because he believed it was necessary for the greater good

  • He was eventually arrested and executed for treason by the Nazis

Christianity - Pacifism

Christianity and Pacifism

• Christian pacifists believe that peace can come through religious faith, supported by prayer and meditation

  • Being at peace with oneself helps people to avoid conflict with others

• The early Christians practised non-violence and would not take revenge even on their persecutors

• Many Christian pacifists today take their inspiration from the life and teaching of Jesus who did not resist arrest and allowed himself to be crucified for the love of the human race

• Jesus taught his followers to live and work for peace:

• Many Christian pacifists are willing to die, but not kill for their beliefs

  • During the First and Second World Wars, many Christian pacifists refused to fight and faced punishment as a result

  • These people were called conscientious objectors

  • Many who refused to fight joined the war effort in other non-combat roles, such as doctors, nurses, cooks and mechanics

  • They were often dangerous jobs and some lost their lives, but they died knowing that their war effort did not involve killing other people

• Not all Christians are pacifists because some believe that war and conflict can be justified on occasions under certain criteria (Just war)

• Some Christians would use the example of Jesus who protested violently against people in the temple who were exploiting others

• Some Christians will use passive resistance to protest rather than violence to bring about changes when there is injustice

  • Dr Martin Luther King was a Baptist Minister who dedicated his life to transforming the way Black people were treated in the U.S.A

  • He organised peaceful rallies, protests and boycotts to persuade the government to change laws which treated Black people as second-class citizens

  • In 1965, Black people were given equal voting rights to white people

  • His actions were driven by his Christian beliefs and the teachings of Jesus in the Bible

Islam and Pacifism

• Islam is a religion of peace. However, It is difficult for Muslims to identify themselves as pacifists because of the duty of Jihad, and also because of what is instructed in the Qur'an:

• In all other circumstances, many Muslims share the principles of pacifism and sympathise with the cause of pacifists

• The Qur'an advises that if peace is offered then it must not be refused:

• Many Muslims believe that being at peace with oneself helps to avoid conflicts with others

• Many find that this sense of inner peace comes from submitting their lives to God and to their faith

• Being part of the ummah (brotherhood of Muslims) gives them a feeling of solidarity and support

• Islam teaches people to protest whenever they encounter injustice, but not violently

  • The Arab Spring in 2011 saw many Muslims in countries such as Egypt, protesting for more political power. Most demonstrations were peaceful and focused on passive resistance 

• Muslims believe that Allah sees everything and will judge people based on their actions

• Muslims should therefore avoid violence and do their best to bring about peace through praying, campaigning and working with people from other religions in the community