Furies (2)

Christians can be quite smug. We like think we are superior to other cultures, which fight among themselves. Reading Furies made me realise that we have an ugly history. Most of the wars that wreaked havoc across Europe were fought between Christians, in the name of God. For most of history, Christianity has not been a harbinger of peace.

This has not changed. The twentieth century was dominated between declining Christian empires. The human costs of these wars were enormous, yet Christians still glorify in them.

When I read about the war in Syria, it is clear that nothing has changed. The civilians there are paying an enormous price in death and destruction of their livelihoods. Family life is being torn apart and economic activity is being destroyed.

President Assad is not the best president in the world, but I cannot understand why political leaders in the US, UK France, Saudi Arabia and Qatar think that training, financing and equipping people to fight a civil war will improve the situation. Already, thousand have been killed, more have wounded, families have been gutted and business destroyed, with nothing of substance being achieved. War just does not work as a method for changing political leaders. It produced a disaster in Iraq and will do even worse in Syria.

Modern political leaders have a blind faith in their ability to bring about good through war. When will they open their eyes and wake up to the futility of war?