Syria – Archbishops past and present urge; Quakers call on MPs to reject plan to bomb ; Free Churches urge caution
Archbishops past and present urge caution on Syria intervention
Both Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and his predecessor George Carey have warned of the consequences of military action in Syria.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Abp Welby said British Members of Parliament must be sure about the facts on the ground before acting amid “a really delicate and dangerous situation”.
Abp Welby who is a member of the House of Lords said there were “numerous intermediate steps” to consider between doing nothing and regime change, adding there was no “good answer” or any simple solutions.
Lord Carey of Clifton who was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1991 until 2002 said armed intervention in Syria could lead to a regional war.
He said he shared the British Prime Minister’s outrage at a government using chemical weapons against its own people, but was opposed to the UK entering into the conflict in Syria.
In the interview with The Telegraph, Abp Welby also highlighted the plight of Christians in the region saying that people there had a “terrible sense of fear about what might come out of, what might be happening in the next few weeks.”
His immediate predecessor, Rowan Williams, has said nothing publicly on the subject of military intervention in Syria. However, he recently highlighted the persecution of Christians in countries around the world. Speaking to an audience at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Lord Williams, who is now Master of Cambridge’s Magdalene College, told an audience that he himself had Christian friends in Syria who had disappeared and “whose fate remains unknown”.
To read the articles in full visit:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/10269721/Welby-warns-against-rushing-to-judgment-over-Syria-intervention.html
and
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/10270373/Military-action-in-Syria-would-spark-Middle-East-war-warns-Lord-Carey.html
Quakers call on MPs to reject plan to bomb Syria
Quakers were the first major church denomination in Britain to speak out against the UK government’s plans for air strikes in Syria.
They called for an actively nonviolent response and warned politicians not to “fall into the old trap” of thinking that military action is the only alternative to doing nothing.
“Quakers in Britain are appalled by the suffering and loss of life on all sides in Syria,” said a statement from the denomination today (28 August). “We understand – and share – the wish of the international community to take some form of action to reduce the bloodshed, but we strongly urge those who are tempted to respond militarily to think again.”
Paul Parker, the Recording Clerk (and most senior staff member) of Quakers in Britain, said, “Air strikes will kill people just as surely as chemical attacks. All weapons must seem equally abhorrent if it is your family that is being killed.”
Regarding suspicions that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons, Parker added, “Punishment for use of specific kinds of weapon is no justification for further acts of war or for supplying yet more weapons.”
Quakers, known more formally as the Religious Society of Friends, have a long history of pacifism and nonviolent resistance to injustice.
“New participants in a war will breed new hatreds,” said Parker. “Experience of other conflicts shows that supposedly simple or ‘surgical’ military interventions usually become messy and hard to end. We are convinced that even when some kind of victory is claimed, the deep harm done by violence always outweighs the supposed benefits.”
The statement is likely to add to the pressure on other churches and faith groups to take a stand against the bombing. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has already urged caution, saying MPs need to be aware of “the facts on the ground” and the likely consequences of military action.
Paul Parker urged those in power to work through the United Nations and other diplomatic channels to promote peace.
“We challenge them to use their resources and imaginations creatively,” he said. “We will pray for peace in the region, and continue to voice our deep opposition to war.“
The statement is likely to be particularly welcomed by those Quakers who fear that parts of the denomination have drifted away from pacifism in recent years.
Free Churches urge caution over Syria
Senior figures from the Methodist Church in Britain, the Baptist Union of Great Britain and the United Reformed Church have released a short statement on the crisis in Syria.
The Free church leaders urge the UK government to be cautious in its response, but hold back from a direct comment on armed action.
They say: “At this time of challenge and uncertainty we pray for the people of Syria, thinking especially of those who have suffered or died as a result of an apparent use of chemical weapons near Damascus.
“We also pray for wisdom and discernment from political leaders in Britain and other nations. We urge them to take time for careful consideration and resist hasty response.
“Syria has experienced a cycle of violence for too long. We pray that our nation’s response will be guided by the desire to achieve peace and urge our leaders to work with as wide as possible a range of regional partners and with the United Nations.”
The statement has been signed by the Rev Ruth Gee, President of the Methodist Conference, the Rev Stephen Keyworth, Faith and Society Team Leader at the Baptist Union of Great Britain, and the Rev Dr Michael Jagessar, Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church.
The three Churches have also drawn attention to the 27 August statement from the World Council of Churches (WCC) condemning the use of chemical weapons and calling on UN to fulfil its responsibility to protect Syrians.