Jimmy Akin writes a lovely article on why the particular uses of atomic weaponry at Hiroshima and Nagasaki were war crimes, with supporting quotation from CCC and what not.

So, of course, the comment box gnomes open up on him (there's one problem I haven't had since junior year of college), mostly along two lines:

1. We firebombed a lot of cities and killed lots of people, and that was ok, so this is ok too


2. It net saved lives, so nothing else matters

Err, with regards to one, reread the catechism, and then reverse your logic (hint - firebombing civilian populations is wrong even if done with conventional bombs).

With regards to two, reread the catechism again. Then ask yourself if the ends justify the means in your moral system. If they do, reread the catechism again once or twice and report to the nearest First Things subscriber for an introduction to morality.

With regards to both, we note that it is possible to be a right wing cafeteria Catholic just as well as a left wing one.

Nothing I said here, he (Mr. Akin) didn't say better. But I just had to say it.

Labels: catholic, morality