“War, which is armed conflict between countries or nations, may be sometimes lawful and without sin. Three conditions are necessary for a justified war: a) it must be waged by lawful public authority in defense of the common good; b) it must be waged for a just cause; c) it must be waged with the right intention, not vengefully nor to inflict harm.”
Do President Trump’s missal strikes on Syria satisfy these three criteria? Everyone certainly has their opinion on the matter, and all are apparently ready to claim infallibility, but we do so to our own detriment. War is no simple matter, and not one of us is privy to the same intelligence as our president. So when asked about the wisdom of intervening in Syria, I must honestly reply, “I don’t yet know.”
For now, I’ll say this. If President Trump’s missal strikes satisfy the three criteria listed above, his war is just. If they do not satisfy the criteria, he–just like Assad–has blood on his hands.
But no matter what the truth may be, I’ll wholeheartedly agree with the president when he asks for, “God’s wisdom as we face the challenge of our very troubled world.” That should be something upon which we can all agree.
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