War and Peace

One MOJ reader has this to say about the question I posed with respect to Merton's quote about the level of the Christian commitment to the peace movement:

"In your MOJ post today, you pose the question - Is it right that even Christians have come to accept the idea of war?  No, but that 'battle' appears to have been lost at the Synod of Arles in 314.  The gradual deadening of conscience noted by Merton was more an early effect of the 'just war' than the 'cold war.'  Ambrose, Augustine and Aquinas have always trumped Martin of Tours, the patron of soldiers."