The Victims of War
The victims of war are the people harmed by conflict, including civilians, refugees, prisoners of war and the wounded, even though just war theory says civilians should never be deliberately targeted. This topic covers religious and non-religious teachings on caring for these victims, on reconciliation and forgiveness once fighting has ended, and on who bears the greatest responsibility for helping them.
Method
- Learn the key vocabulary: refugee, prisoner of war, non-combatant immunity, humanitarian aid, reconciliation.
- Learn why just war theory's discrimination principle is meant to protect civilians, and why it is broken in practice.
- Learn religious teachings on caring for victims of war, each with an accurately cited source.
- Learn contrasting views on who bears the greater responsibility to help: individuals and communities, or governments and international organisations.
- Learn religious and secular teachings on forgiveness and reconciliation after conflict, including the debate about whether forgiveness should always be offered.
- Practise writing an answer that explains two contrasting views on responsibility or forgiveness, using an accurately cited source for each.
- Practise structuring a 12-mark evaluation that reaches a justified conclusion.
Worked example
During a conflict, a hospital treating wounded soldiers and civilians together is deliberately targeted in an attack. Using the just war principle of non-combatant immunity, explain whether this attack could be justified.
- Recall that non-combatant immunity means civilians should not be deliberately targeted or harmed during a conflict.
- Note that the hospital in the scenario treats wounded soldiers and civilians together.
- Recognise that a wounded soldier receiving medical treatment is no longer an active combatant, and civilian patients are non-combatants throughout.
- Apply the principle: deliberately targeting people who are not currently fighting breaches non-combatant immunity.
- Final answer: no, deliberately attacking a hospital treating the wounded and civilians breaches the principle of non-combatant immunity, regardless of who is inside.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE Religious Studies exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
A refugee resettlement charity reports that of 3,000 families it helped last year, 1,800 were resettled within their first six months of arriving. (a) Calculate the percentage of families resettled within six months. (b) Suggest one reason the remaining families might take longer to resettle.
Justify the view that religious communities have an important role to play in reconciliation between former enemies, even after a peace agreement has been signed by governments.
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