ABSTRACT
The theology of the just war is grafted onto the gospel from Roman philosophy, chiefly from the work of Cicero. For fifteen centuries, governments and leaders of the Christian church cited ‘just war’ conditions to exonerate Christians from feelings of guilt for maiming and killing human beings in the widespread and regularly occurring social organisation known as war; they used religious and biblical language to justify their behaviour. The theory argues that although Christians should not resort to violence or justify it, a distinction should be made between the individual and the state. God has given the sword to government, implying that the state is given the right as well as the power to protect the order. Christians form a part of government and for that reason they should contribute to protect peace and punish wickedness. It is argued that Pentecostals should reject the theory of the ‘just war’ because there are no just wars and no right to wage war. A means of mutual accommodation can always be found. Whether one believes that war is evil because violence is evil, because killing human beings is evil or because it necessarily involves the evil of killing innocent civilians including children and women, fact is that war and violence are evil and should be uprooted by all committed Christians.
