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College sophomore Rowland Chavez, right, and Psychiatry staff member Rebecca Wintering, left, discuss the U.S.-led war in Iraq at Newman Hall. [Phil Leff/The Daily Pennsylvanian]

Amid numerous comfortable couches in Newman Hall, a small interfaith group of students gathered last night to discuss the war with Iraq and the stance of the Catholic Church.

Students started by reading a prayer by the Pope and then went on to discuss the "Just War Doctrine" described in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The doctrine identifies the circumstances under which war is justified, namely when there will be more damage if one does not act, when one has tried all other options, when one has enough of a chance to win and if by acting, one produces less evil in the end.

Wharton and Engineering senior Peter Burchhardt said he thinks the U.S. is correct in declaring war because "if we don't act, there's a high probability that we will be attacked."

However, he emphasized that only the White House knows the whole truth and whether Iraq is really a grave enough danger.

Rebecca Wintering, a Psychiatry Department staff member, disagreed, saying that the Catholic Church said that the "just war" conditions have not been met.

"They are basing their judgments on what they know," Wintering said, agreeing that nobody really knows the whole truth.

Burchhardt's main reason for supporting the war is his belief that we are acting in self-defense for the future.

"If we don't act now... we won't be able to defend ourselves once Saddam has these weapons," he said.

In response, College sophomore Rowland Chavez brought up the danger of acting on beliefs.

"They might not do damage, and you are punishing them... like [in] Minority Report," he said.

The group agreed that the country must set its differences aside and pray for American soldiers and peace.

"We must consider the innocent Iraqis dying just as we consider our own dying," Burchhardt said.

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