Ecumenical Councils of War

On Nov 9, I recommended to the Order an interview with Chaplain Webster of the Virginia National Guard http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles4/AgainWebster.shtml

In follow-up, I commend to you this critical review of Webster & Cole’s book “The Virtue of War” by David Hart. Mr. Hart is an Orthodox Christian who is well versed in the topic of “just war”. Mr. Hart says
It is one thing to turn the other cheek against insult and casual abuse, or even to accept martyrdom, but another thing altogether to permit oneself simply to be murdered to no good end. To love charitably—selflessly—requires that love of self be ordered towards the love of God; to do this, one must learn to love oneself under the rule of justice, and to fail to do so is no less a sin than refusing to defend one’s neighbor. Indeed, defending oneself against unjust violence is one of the few times that one can most assuredly subsume self-love under the law of charity, without egoism or spite intruding at all.
[I am reminded of the actions of the angels in Sodom & Gomorrah to defend against the assaults on them, and Lot, in Gen 19 that I cited a few days ago]
See the article here
http://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=17-09-040-f