Resources:

• “Fake text messages about a military draft are being sent to Americans, the US Army warns,” Business Insider, found at sophiaonline.org/FakeDraftWarning.
• “Selective Service,” usa.gov, found at sophiaonline.org/SelectiveService.

Activities:

Catechism of the Catholic Church nos. 2308, 2309, 2310, 2311 & 2312

• First, have your students read Catechism of the Catholic Church nos. 2308, 2309, 2310, 2311 & 2312.
• Next, have them complete the Focus and Reflection Questions.
• When your students have completed the focus and reflection questions, review and discuss the correct answers.

The Military Draft

• Have your students read the articles “Fake text messages about a military draft are being sent to Americans, the US Army warns,” from Business Insider, and “Selective Service,” from usa.gov.
• Next, arrange your students into groups of three or four. Have them compare the articles with what they read in the Catechism, using the discussion questions from the handout The Military Draft.
• When groups have finished discussing, call on groups to share and discuss with the class key points from their conversation. Lead a conversation on the common good of society; what it is, whether it is worth defending, and at what price.

Answer Key

Catechism of the Catholic Church nos. 2308, 2309, 2310, 2311 & 2312

1. "[A]s long as the danger of war persists and there is no international authority with the necessary competence and power, governments cannot be denied the right of lawful self-defense, once all peace efforts have failed." (CCC 2308)
2. The four conditions are:
   • “the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;
   • all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;
   • there must be serious prospects of success;
   • the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated.
3. Accept reasoned answers. Modern weapons have the capability to destroy people and resources on a vast scale that is unprecedented in human history. The collateral damage that can be inflicted by using such weapons, both in the human sphere and also in the natural world, intensifies the destructive consequences of warfare. Thus, a new level of consideration and care must be exercised by nations that wield such weapons.
4. Accept reasoned answers. All citizens have a responsibility for the common good, but most especially those who hold public authority.
5. “Public authorities, in this case, have the right and duty to impose on citizens the obligations necessary for national defense.” (CCC 2310) Accept reasoned answers.
6. Accept reasoned answers.
7. Accept reasoned answers.
8. Accept reasoned answers.
9. No, the moral law must never be neglected. The Catechism asserts that the moral law remains even in wartime: "The Church and human reason both assert the permanent validity of the moral law during armed conflict. The mere fact that war has regrettably broken out does not mean that everything becomes licit between the warring parties." (CCC 2312)

The Military Draft

1. The U.S. Army issued a warning against fraudulent text messages that claimed the recipients were selected for a military draft.
2. The Selective Service Administration initiates the decision to enact a military draft, which then must be declared by Congress. Congress would have to pass (and the President sign) legislation in order to authorize a draft.
3. The U.S. military carried out an airstrike that killed Iran’s elite Quds Force commander, Major General Qassem Soleimani.
4. The Selective Service System registers eligible men and determines who is called to serve in the event of a draft. The last military draft ended in 1973.
5. “Almost all men age 18-25 who are U.S. citizens or are immigrants living in the U.S. are required to be registered with Selective Service.” The consequences of refusing to register are being denied federal student loan aid, job training, a federal job, or citizenship, facing possible prosecution, a large fine, and/or jail time.
6. Accept reasoned answers.
7. No. Registering for Selective Service does not mean you are in the military. Legislation would need to be enacted in order for a draft to take effect. In the event of a draft, the Selective Service Administration would determine who was called for service and who was not.
8. Accept reasoned answers.
9. Accept reasoned answers.
10. Accept reasoned answers.