Dalai Lama endorses just wars but not in case of Tibet

Yahoo News ^ | Nov. 4, 2005 | AFP

[FairOpinion]

"Waging war for the cause of freedom can be justified but not in the case of Tibet's dream of autonomy from China, the Dalai Lama told an audience at Stanford University.

The allied victory in World War II "saved Western civilization," and conflicts fought in Korea and Vietnam were honorable from a moral standpoint, the 14th Dalai Lama said in answer to questions."

Also note he refused to condemn the Iraq war, unlike many other Christian leaders, who couldn't wait to jump on the anti-US, leftist bandwagon, condemning it loudly:

"Asked about the US-led invasion of Iraq, he said it would take a few years before it becomes clear whether the US military action was the right course of action."

[The Worthless Miracle]

"Asked about the US-led invasion of Iraq, he said it would take a few years before it becomes clear whether the US military action was the right course of action"

BUT Bush was mocked when he said that history would be the judge...

[bnelson44]

He calls Vietnam a just war

interesting....

[T. Buzzard Trueblood]

conflicts fought in Korea and Vietnam were honorable from a moral standpoint

Interesting.

[ClearCase_guy]

Sounds like one of his criteria for a Just War is that you have to have some hope of winning. Makes sense.

[the invisib1e hand]

The Dalai Lama joked at times. A question about whether to cut television from people's lives prompted him to quip that "society would be more boring."

But seriously, folks... I just flew in from Bangkok, and are my arms tired!...Did you hear the one about the monk and the exotic dancer?...

Interesting read, actually. At least he was thoughtful about his political correctness; it didn't seem like typical leftist talking point delivery.

[FairOpinion]

I think that he undestands communists and leftists, because of China, so he doesn't swallow the leftist propaganda, as unfortunately many other religious leaders do.

[denydenydeny]

If he had unambiguously condemned the Iraq war, I suspect that that little detail wouldn't be in paragraph 12 of the story.

[bnelson44]

Also true with the Catholic Church's view on a just war.

[FairOpinion]

You mean like this one?

Board of Church and Society calls for withdrawal from Iraq

The United Methodist Board of Church and Society passed a resolution calling on the United States to withdraw its troops from the country. "As people of faith, we raise our voice in protest against the tragedy of the unjust war in Iraq," the resolution stated. "We urge the United States government to develop and implement a plan for the withdrawal of its troops. The U.S. invasion has set in motion a sequence of events which may plunge Iraq into civil war."

[FairOpinion]

I thought a lot of leaders of the Catholic Church condemned the Iraq war, including Pope John Paul II.

[bnelson44]

They did. The Pope didn't, at least not publically. But the Just War Doctrine in the Catholic Church is not decided by clerics. It is the responsibility of the civic leaders to engage in such actions or not. They make the decision and they are responsible to God for their decisions.

More info:
http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c2a5.htm#2307

[SirJohnBarleycorn]

His Lama-ness apparently does not include the WOT in his list of "just wars":

Dalai Lama Criticizes U.S. War
DHARAMSALA, India (AP) -- The Dalai Lama criticized the U.S.-led war on terrorism on Thursday and said the use of retaliatory force would only lead to more suffering.

``Terrorism cannot be overcome by the use of force because it does not address the complex underlying problems,'' he said in a statement. ``In fact, the use of force may not only fail to solve the problems, it may exacerbate them and frequently leave destruction and suffering in its wake.''

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/741584/posts

[bnelson44]

The United Methodist Board of Church and Society doesn't represent the Methodist Church. These nuts also came out against the Boy Scouts of America's policy on not allowing avowed homosexual Scoutmasters.

[bnelson44]

But the Liberation of Iraq does address underlying issues. Interesting....

[FairOpinion]

Well, here is another one, where he supports the war against terror. Perhaps the other quote was not in full context?

Dalai Lama backs fight against terrorism

http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/newsdetails.php?newsid=695

NEW DELHI, Nov 2: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama today supported the fight against terrorism but cautioned against branding the entire Muslim community as militant.

"I take appropriate action when I see malaria-carrying mosquitoes because they are not very friendly," the Dalai Lama said while answering a question about terrorism, Gandhiism and Islamic fundamentalism after a talk on ‘achieving peace in our times’ here.

But he said he did not believe that "a few mischievous Muslims" represented the entire Muslim community.

[FairOpinion]

Here is another good quote from the article in my post above: "I really do not know. I wish Gandhi was here. Terrorism is a different problem, an invisible one," the Tibetan leader said. "It’s foolish to say compasssion when you see (charging) mad dogs," the Dalai Lama said as he deplored Saturday’s deadly bomb blasts in Delhi, in which 59 people were killed and more than 200 wounded.

[SirJohnBarleycorn]

My take on the Esteemed Lama-lity is that, like Clinton, he shades his statements to varying degrees depending on the audience he is speaking to.

[FairOpinion]

My guess is that as a "man of peace" he has to advocate and does advocate peace, but doesn't advocate surrender.

I kind of liked his mosquito and mad dog analogies.

[smith288]

Asked about the US-led invasion of Iraq, he said it would take a few years before it becomes clear whether the US military action was the right course of action.

Thousands of hippy leftists just ripped off their "Free Tibet" stickers in protest of his astute patience regarding Iraq.