Contradicting traditions.If one slides uncritically over Paul Lauritzen's assertion that "Catholic tradition ... [affirms] the right and responsibility of governments to defend their citizens," his argument for ROTC appears solid. But the tradition Lauritzen cites is essentially incompatible with the ancient Christian tradition Christian traditions are traditions of practice or belief associated with Christianity. The term has several connected meanings. In terms of belief, traditions are generally stories or history that are or were widely accepted without being part of Christian doctrine. that precluded Christians' taking up arms--unless the state could not find enough non-Christians to fill its military ranks. The U.S. bishops' acknowledgment of the gospel nonviolence tradition in their 1984 pastoral letter Pastoral letters are open letters addressed by a bishop to the clergy or laity of his diocese, or to both, containing either general admonition, instruction or consolation, or directions for behaviour in particular circumstances. , The Challenge of Peace, makes clear that "just war" has not superseded that tradition: the contradiction remains. The military, the bishops wrote, should "primarily serve a peacekeeping and defensive function," but the U.S. military has not served a defensive function since World War II. And since then, only the Korean, Balkan, and 1994 Haitian interventions were actually peacekeeping missions. The ROTC is, in fact, almost entirely a preparation for aggression and service of empire: we have killed, either directly or through proxies, 4 million innocent people since the Korean conflict. A military is "needed," St. Francis demonstrated, only to defend possessions; war appeared on the human scene only with agriculture and rival claims to land or resources. More troubling is Lauritzen's argument that the commitment of ROTC students to public service, "to making the world a better place," earns ROTC a place on campus. This reminds me of the argument that ROTC gives future officers a strong moral and ethical foundation. But I have not heard of a Notre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam] is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame or John Carroll John Carroll may be:
(born April 28, 1937, Tikrit, Iraq—died Dec. 30, 2006, Baghdad) President of Iraq (1979–2003). He joined the Ba'th Party in 1957. Following participation in a failed attempt to assassinate Iraqi Pres. failed the just-war proportionality test. WILLIAM H. SLAVICK Portland, Maine |
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