This post traces the development of Catholic Church teaching on the morality of nuclear weapons. In particular, it looks at the nuclear powers’ strategy of deterrence. Following that strategy Russia and the U.S. keep their nuclear weapons at the ready to deter each other from using them first. For a while conditionally accepting deterrence, the Church now officially condemns even the possession of nuclear weapons. The immorality of nuclear weapons use A philosophy prof at Catholic University in the 1960’s... Read more

Seventy-seven years ago the United States unleashed the power of the atom against two population centers in Japan. Since then practically all the typical American heard about the morality of these acts was how necessary it was to end the war and prevent even more killing. Contrary voices, including those of religious figures (see this post), scientists, generals, and other military advisers were missing from the history that I and most Americans learned in school. It was an “end justifies... Read more

It’s been 77 years since the only use of nuclear weapons in warfare. On August 6 and 9, 1945, the United states dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  I’m returning to a subject I treated previously. This post will begin a series on “Nuclear Weapons, the World, and the Church.”  Four posts in this series will cover these topics:         Hiroshima, Nagasaki and the conscience of World War II victors    ... Read more