"Though defensive violence will always be 'a sad necessity' in the eyes of men of principle, it would be still more unfortunate if wrongdoers should dominate just men."
August 28 is the Feast Day of St. Augustine of Hippo. Now considered a Doctor of the Church, he died in 430 A.D. Augustine led a life of debauchery until, through the ardent prayers of his mother, St. Monica, he converted to Christianity. The Saint merits mention in the Musings for a couple of reasons.
Reason # 1, St. Augustine is one of the patron Saints of Brewers. For reasons not fully clear, his conversion from a life of debauchery earned him that title.
Reason # 2 are his writings on the Doctrine of Just War. The theory of a just war holds that violence should not be the first answer to violence, however resorting to only peacefulness in the face of a grave wrong would be a sin if violence is the the only way to prevent such a wrong.
"The purpose of all war is ultimately peace."
--Saint Augustine
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