11.6.2 Religion & Peacemaking (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062))

Religious Believers who Promoted Peace

Religion and Peace

• Religion is meant to bring justice to the world, and to fight injustice where it is seen

• Many wars are about, or include the abuse of justice, so many religious people feel duty-bound to fight against that

• Some religious people will support organisations that work towards peace or they may be directly involved in protesting or demonstrating about war and injustice

• Religious charities exist to help achieve peace and to help those who are in conflict to rebuild their relationships

• Some religious individuals have promoted peace and whose work has led to social and political change, and an end to violence

Religious Believers Who Promoted Peace

• The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists

  • He is recognised around the world as a symbol of peace

  • When the Chinese invaded his country, Tibet, he was forced into exile

  • However, despite this injustice, he refuses to condone physical fighting against the Chinese

  • He says that hatred and violence will lead to more hatred and violence

  • He believes peace will only exist when everyone respects each other

  • He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992

  • Buddhist monks in Tibet have maintained peaceful protests against Chinese rule despite being subjected to threats and violence

• Mahatma Gandhi (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi), who lived from 1869 to 1948, was an Indian lawyer, politician, social activist, and writer

  • He became the leader of the nationalist movement against the British rule of India

  • Gandhi is internationally esteemed for his doctrine of nonviolent protest to achieve political and social progress

  • He was imprisoned many times for his beliefs and protests and often went on a hunger strike to draw attention to his plight

  • Gandhi was heavily influenced by the Hindu text 'Bhagavadgita' which became his 'spiritual dictionary' and was probably the greatest single influence on his life

  • Two Sanskrit words in the Gita particularly fascinated him. One was aparigraha (non-possession), which implies that people have to give up material possessions, and the other was samabhava (equability), which teaches people to remain unruffled by pain or pleasure, victory or defeat, and to work without hope of success or fear of failure

  • His non-violent resistance helped end British rule in India and has influenced modern civil disobedience movements across the globe

  • Dr Martin Luther King Junior was heavily influenced by Gandhi's belief in non-violent protest in his actions, which eventually led to the Civil Rights Movement in America and equal rights for black Americans

• Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who lived from 1931 to 2021, was a South African Anglican cleric who fought for the rights of Black South Africans during apartheid

  • He emphasized nonviolent protest and encouraged the application of economic pressure on South Africa. At the time, South Africa had a policy which discriminated against Black South Africans

  • He headed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was intended to help heal the country by investigating human rights violations that had occurred during the apartheid era

  • He publicly endorsed an international economic boycott of South Africa to try to force change

  • His actions were driven by his Christian belief of love and non-violence for others

  • in 1984 received the Nobel Prize for Peace for his role in the opposition to apartheid in South Africa

  • Apartheid came to an end in the early 1990s in a series of steps that led to the formation of a democratic government in 1994

  • He continued his work with the Elders, a group of international leaders he cofounded in 2007 for the promotion of conflict resolution and problem-solving throughout the world

Religious Beliefs and Peace

Christian Beliefs and Peace

• The teachings of Christianity are peaceful

• Jesus taught a message of love and Christianity has a strong pacifist tradition

• Christians do not actively want war. Peace should always be the preferred option

• This view is based upon the teachings and actions of Jesus from the New Testament

• Jesus seems to teach non-violence. He said 'blessed are the peacemakers' (Matthew 5: 9) and that we should 'love our enemies' (Matthew 5: 43-44)

• There are further quotes from scripture that seem to suggest that peace should always be a priority over conflict

• Meaning that those who choose conflict over peace will eventually lose their own lives as a result

• Meaning that it is always better to avoid violence and choose the peaceful option

• However many Christians can and do accept war if it is just

• They may accept war and conflict in some cases because it is viewed as necessary. There seems to be some support for this within the bible

• Some may interpret this to mean that Christians should apply justice or revenge to those who have caused harm. Others may believe that it is God's responsibility to apply justice

• This is the quote that seems to suggest that revenge and retribution are permitted, although Jesus rejected this teaching from the Old Testament and instead promoted 'turning the other cheek'

Muslim Beliefs and Peace

• Islam promotes living a peaceful existence

• The Qur'an teaches that all people should be kind to one another

• Muslims believe that Allah sees everything and that everyone will be judged for their actions

• Muslims believe this because of what is written in the Qur'an which they believe to be the word of God, and the teachings of the prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

• This means that those who forgive and choose the peaceful option will be rewarded in the afterlife 

• Muslims believe that killing others is such a sin that ending someone's life is the same has ending all life, where as saving one life is like saving all mankind

• Muslims greet each other with the words ‘salaam alaikum’ which means ‘peace be upon you' which indicates how important peace is within the religion

• However, Muslims believe in the 'lesser jihad' meaning that war and conflict are sometimes necessary as a last resort

• War and conflict are acceptable to protect Muslims and the religion of Islam, and this is supported in the Qur'an

• Meaning that if there is a just cause then violence is permitted

• Muslims believe that Allah will reward those who have fought to defend Islam when they die by being rewarded in the afterlife