The Murder Button vs Just War

About this sermon

What if you could press a button, become a million dollars richer, and know that one poor person would die as a result? Support the channel by visiting: https://brianholdsworth.ca/help Most of us would recoil from that idea. But what if the same moral temptation exists in politics, especially when leaders can gain wealth, power, prestige, or influence through war while other people pay the price? In this video, I look at the moral danger of war through the lens of personal temptation, political manipulation, and Catholic Just War theory. From Julius Caesar and the Gallic Wars, to Iraq, to modern political reversals on interventionism, the question is whether we can trust the people trying to justify it. Timestamps: 00:00 – The million-dollar button dilemma 01:03 – The temptation spiral 03:11 – High moral standards reveal weakness 04:03 – Why many would press the button 04:42 – When politicians hold the button 04:55 – Caesar, Iraq, and personal gain from war 06:59 – Trump, Iran, and failed resolve 09:30 – Why we need objective criteria for war 09:45 – WWI propaganda and public manipulation 11:22 – Catholic Just War theory 12:10 – Last resort and grave damage 13:06 – Prospect of success and proportionality 13:40 – Nuclear war and the modern problem 14:32 – Why recent popes are more anti-war Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.com Podcast Version: https://brianholdsworth.libsyn.com/