I meant exactly what I said. The action of bombing those two cities was gravely sinful. I do not know if the men were ever forgiven their sins. I do not know the state of their souls (unless one happened to become a Saint).
How is wanting to end the war as quickly as possible with a minimal loss of human life a “thirst for power?”
The act of dropping the bombs saved thousands of lives as well. I do not believe for a moment that it was gravely sinful. It is not sinful to defend your life, and the lives of loved ones even if you have to take life to do it. This was a just war, and the targets were military in nature (Otherwise why not nuke Tokyo?)
Interesting quote I found here(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debate_over_the_atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki) :
"As American Christians, we are deeply penitent for the irresponsible use already made of the atomic bomb. We are agreed that, whatever be one's judgment of the war in principle, the surprise bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are morally indefensible.""Based on a detailed investigation of all the facts, and supported by the testimony of the surviving Japanese leaders involved, it is the Survey's opinion that certainly prior to 31 December 1945, and in all probability prior to 1 November 1945, Japan would have surrendered even if the atomic bombs had not been dropped, even if Russia had not entered the war, and even if no invasion had been planned or contemplated."I had a dear friend who was a marine, and on his way to die in the invasion of Japan, where estimates would have put the allied casualties at well over 50%. His life was saved by the bombings, and consequently the lives of his children and grandchildren…Neither he, nor any of the other millions who sacrificed their lives in the defense of liberty are guilty of any crime. The fascist aggressors who started the war, both in Japan, and Germany are guilty of dropping those bombs. They are the damned, and those who defend them…
Guilty are the ones who decided to drop the bomb…not your friend.
Their actions ended a war that would have likely resulted in over a million more deaths, many of which would have been Japanese civilians had it been allowed to continue.
Guilty are the ones who started the war!
The war itself was a just war, in all probability. The action of dropping the bombs, however, was seriously immoral.
I’m thinking that greggy53 may have been referring to the Axis powers.
I punch you in the face and you torture and kill me…who did worse?
I’d just as vehemently call against speculating about the state of THEIR souls either. Again, many of these people lived many years after the war, and had much opportunity to repent.
In the end this is the only right answer. Unless the Church has declared any of the people involved a Saint, we have no way of knowing for sure. I believe that the theological virtue of hope requires us to hope that all people made it to Heaven. At least that’s the way I heard Father Corapi put it once…
BRAVO!! There seems to be a small cadre of us on this thread that have said this kind of thing.
Aw come on, you can do better than that.
They could be but dropping the bomb would not be the reason. my Fahter was as liberal as they come but he fully supported dropping the bomb. However as he was on a ship offshore getting ready to participate in the invasion of Japan I guess his perspective would be a little different than yours.
Then perhaps we should not be “speculating” at all about the motives and the rational of those who decided to drop the atomic bombs…By the way, I would have had a much harder time defending the allied fire- bombing of the city of Dresden in Germany. Now, that was a target that had no military significance whatsoever; or perhaps the rape of Nanking by the Japanese in China. The truth of the matter is that while atrocities are committed in all wars by all nationalities the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima, and Nagasaki was I believe, morally and militarily justified