9. Pacifism vs Violence
Video Version
Audio Version
How do we distinguish between when to act in pacifism and when to act with force? The men discuss the problem of self-defense vs martyrdom. Can we justify violence if it’s for the greater good?
Catholics follow the example of Christ. Through the Church we have many examples of saints who were both violent and passive. Thus, true chivalry balances love and justice. But how does this play out in our every day lives?
“The knight is a man of blood and iron, a man familiar with the sight of smashed faces and the ragged stumps of lopped-off limbs; he is also a demure, almost a maiden-like, guest in hall, a gentle, modest, unobtrusive man. He is not a compromise or happy mean between ferocity and meekness; he is fierce to the nth and meek to the nth.” - C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis “The Necessity of Chivalry” Doodle - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBT9LasyC3E
“Another is the paradox of charity or chivalry that the weaker a thing is the more it should be respected, that the more indefensible a thing is the more it should appeal to us for a certain kind of defense.” - G.K. Chesterton
