What is the Catholic Churches's stance on the war in Iraq?
410257
The “just war” doctrine requires rigorous consideration to determine if defense by military force is legitimate. Offensive was is never legitimate. All the following considerations must be true to justify defensive war:\n1. The damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;\n2. All other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;\n3. There must be serious prospects of success;\n4. The use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. \n\nIt has been argued the pre-war Iraq:\n1. Was not inflicting lasting, grave and certain damage to the United States;\n2. Could have been influenced by diplomatic and international sanctions.\n\nIt is argued now that:\n3. There is not a serious prospect of success;\n4. The use of arms has produced evils and disorders greater than the evil eliminated.
313909
You want us to pray for war. Are you crazy, do you think Jesus will answer these prayers. People have a problem with what the troops are doing, i.e. an unprovocted invasion of a country that was no threat to the US, didn't have any links to terrorism (of course it does now), didn't have any WMD. The troops are human and I don't like to see humans die or get injured but the fact is they shouldn´t be there. Most of my sympathy goes to the Iraqi people who are carrying this burden, 12,000+ dead. You wake up if you think what the military is doing in Iraq is making the world safer. Rectuitment for terrorists have soared because of this war. We have bombs going off every week, egypt last week. We have attacks in London, Madrid etc. etc.
256162
Very interesting question indeed!  I believe that the knee-jerk reaction to this question would be "no", however, when thinking about it more broadly--I guess ultimately the answer is "yes".  Perhaps this is the basis of "justified war" that religious organizations speak about.  A good example from recent history would be the horrific events of Nazi Germany, Rwanda & currently in Darfur & Congo.  Since  genocide was (is) happening, violence may be necessary--and then acceptable to put an end to the problem.
587065
All believe in Christ.\n\nEach Christian sect has minor views on attitudes.  \n\nI am Catholic, so I am biased to place Catholicism as the best.  I was baptized and confirmed at the age of ten-years-old.  I quickly went "South" and kinda spit on the Church and her ways.  Well, I spent enough time without God <which is Catholics definition of HELL> ... and I decided to attend the RCIA <Rights of Christian Initiation> classes and I relearned how beautiful, logical, and necessary God and the Catholic Church are.  Prior to taking the classes, "South Park" was my source of spiritual education.  Well, "South Park" had some truths, but now I can really laugh when I watch the show 'cas I understand the parodies, and truth.\n\nDid you know that Catholics provide medicine, education, and disaster relief to many of the Third World countries?  <http://www.catholic.org/>\n\nDid you know that Catholics own the most Telescopes outside of the USA Government?  They teach about evolution, and bending of time?\n\nDid you know that any man who is in good Catholic standing can become Pope?\n\nDid you know that Catholic means Universal and that the Catholic Church IS NOT a building but all the people who are Catholics?\n\nThanks for asking, and listening.  Peace be with you.
1091622
Ever since Bush got away with tax-payer dollars funding Faith-based Initiatives, which is clearly unconstitutional but no politician will touch it in fear to be painted anti-church, there has been a movement in this country for more religious or power of the church.\n\nPeople don't realize how powerful the catholic church is. Do a little research and check out how wealthy they are. It will shock you. There is no way they are going to like China not 'obeying' their (not God's) rules.
824052
To the best of my knowledge the Church has not made a position known.\n\nThe Church teaches that citizens must obey all legitimate laws of the community in which they live.\n\nCitizens are obliged in conscience not to follow the directives of civil authorities when they are contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights of persons or the teachings of the Gospel. \n\nThe scientific, legal, and philosophical debate is still out on medical marijuana as is shown in the attached documents.\n\nWith love in Christ.
856792
I cannot find any opinion of the Catholic Church on the burning of flags. But the Church does have clear teachings about the duties of citizens.\n\nCivil allegiance is the duty of loyalty and obedience which a person owes to the country of which he is a citizen. \n\nCitizens are obliged in conscience not to follow the directives of civil authorities that are contrary to \n+ The demands of the moral order\n+ The fundamental rights of persons\n+ The teachings of the Gospel.\n\nRefusing obedience to civil authorities, when their demands are contrary to those of an upright conscience, finds its justification in the distinction between serving God and serving the political community. \n\n"Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." (Mt 22:21) \n\n"We must obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29)\n\nWith love in Christ.
676144
Catholics are christians.
564604
Different protestant churches may have different views on biblical topics from each other and from the Catholic Church. One of the main things about the Catholic Church is that they put their church tradition at a higher place than the Bible. This is a very dangerous thing to do because it allows the church to hold views that even go plainly against the Bible. Example: if you read 1 Tim 4:1-5 you will read in the Bible (even the Catholic Bible) that men who forbid people to marry are following a doctrine of demons. The Catholic church disregards the Bible there and insists on promoting a doctrine that is not from God. The rampant homosexuality in the priesthood is a by-product of following that demonic teaching. Being single is actualy better for those who want to be more devoted to the Lord but that should never be forced on anyone. \n\nAnother area where there is great danger, is where the Catholic church makes a Pope to be in charge of the church. He is actually called the vicar of Christ which means that he is the representative of Christ here on earth. The Bible teaches that Jesus is the head of the church and the believers are His body. A Pope is said to be able to speak "excathedera" (I think I mispelled it) which means that when he speaks on matters of doctrine and faith, he is "infallible" Obviously throughout the Catolic Church's history it has been wrong in many of its actions and beliefs as in the example I already gave. \n\nProtestants may have differing views but rarely are they as serious as undermining the scriptures and worshiping a man as supreme leader of the church.    \n\nYour average catholic does not know much of the Catholic official teachings which include "transubstantiation", progatory, outright idolatry, not beliving that Jesus died once for all sins as evidenced in the sacrifice of the "Mass", not being able to clain assurance of salvation (one of the worst beliefs of all), adding several books to the old testament about 1500 yrs after the fact to try to defend some of their unbiblical beliefs and the sale of indulgences ect.....Today when I meet a catholic who is open to the Bible, I don't try to bring up most of the above. I try to talk about having a personal relation with Christ and knowing that to get to heaven is a choice that depends on one's own decision not belonging to such and such a church.
1073219
Almost all important doctrine is completely agreed upon between Catholic Christians and most other Christians. \n\nThere are some minor doctrine issues and some major cultural and traditional differences which, I believe, do not matter that much.\n\nWith love in Christ.
1017082
No.\n\nIn fact the Catholic Church is not just against abortion, it is pro-life in the widest sense. This is often called a "Consistent Ethic of Life."\n\nThis pro-life stance stresses the highest regard for dignity of human life including that of:\n- All people in objecting to unjust war and nuclear arms.\n- The unborn in objecting to to abortion, in fitro fertilization, frozen embryos, embryonic stem cell research, and cloning\n- The elderly, sick and dying in objecting to assisted suicide and euthanazia\n- Prisoners in objecting to the death penalty\n- The poor and minorities in supporting social justice issues.\n\nWith love in Christ.
434260
I truly think that the war is very violent and there is no reason for any of it.What happen to peace and thy shall not kill.So many people died in Iraq and what was the real purpose of the invasion in Iraq.May god forgive all those who were in Iraq and for all the Innocent people that were killed do to the stupidity of people that think the war is always the solution.
1169380
In the bible people did as the lord command them to do.  It was a different age and time then.  God no longer speaks to us except to our hearts.  I do not like war of any kind because the result is always death and grief.  However, at times war is going to happen because Americans are hated by everyone, even though we are always the one helping out other countries, coming to their aide in times of great despair and natural disasters, giving them food, shelter, medical equipment,  money,education etc.....I think its unfair to say Christians somehow justify war.  We put are faith in God and pray  for the best outcome.  No one wants to see a war or death.  However America needs to let people know we are not going to be pushed around by terrorist and those guys believe that their God is telling them to kill.  Which it's not God at all.  Man makes the decisions now to go to war by their actions not God.  But to me it is ungodly to sit back and watch a man, kill, rape, torture and kill his own people for his own power and selfish desires.
405488
IT WAS IN FACT...IRAQ.   any doubt as to why we are there now fighting someone else's  Holy war?
989167
They justify believing in war because they do not see their religion has its foundations in the early Church Fathers, who were ultimately interested in creating a religion compatible with the needs and demands of the Roman Empire. It is commonly assumed the Christian faith is based on the Scriptures, but taken seriously, there never has been and never could be a "Christian nation" - meaning one which obeyed Christ - since He commanded His disciples to lay down the sword, give up all their possessions (which necessitated them living in communities like you see in Acts, chapters 2 and 4), and radically turn away from all the world has to offer them, and even the demands of their selfish nature. \nH.G. Wells got this one right when he wrote of the amazing life the Son of God called men to, which so many, even his own followers within a few generations, shrank back from. (See the quote from Wells "A History of the World" at http://www.bartleby.com/86/37.html)\nThe so-called just war theory, if you bother to read Augustine who first formulated it in the early 400's, doesn't forbid Christian participation in any war, however unjust, because every Christian soldier is commanded to obey even his pagan ruler or commander. (For some of Augustine's teaching on this, see Against Faustaus, the Manichaean, Book XXII, Paragraphs 75-76. See the article at http://www.theblackboxspeaks.org/augustine-wars.html about Augustine's legacy in this regard, which affects the historically harsh treatment given conscientious objectors, too.) \nThe just war theory only soothes and appeases the conscience of Christians blatantly contradicting the example and commands of the King they claim, but do not obey. Christian participation in the affairs of this world may well be history's greatest tragedy, and certainly its greatest blasphemy.
257455
Call it what you want, catholics do venerate Mary, and the bible never says to do this. this is not an attack on Catholic church, but there is too much emphasis on ritual, the rosary and the saints can do nothing for your soul, that is dependent on you believing and accepting Christ, reading the bible and worshiping in spirit and in truth, which the catholic church does not do because they are so hung up on ritual. Isaiah speaks about how much God dislikes ritual, though it has it's place, it should not shift the focus away from God, which it does and God does not like that. Hey why don't you do a proper search before you swallow your doctrine whole, you might find that the catholic church really has alot of un-truths.
628037
You nailed it!\n\nThe fact that there is more opposition to the Catholic Church, and less opposition towards the other Christian denominations, proves the Divine Origin of the Catholic Church.\n\n"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. \n"Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. \nRejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.