Bishops want to apologise for Iraq war

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1787421,00.html

BISHOPS of the Church of England want all Britain’s Christian leaders to get together in public to say sorry for the war in Iraq and its aftermath.

The bishops say that the Government is not likely to show remorse so the churches should. They want to organise a major gathering with senior figures from the Muslim community to make a “public act of repentance”.

The bishops admit that their suggestion is provocative and bound to attract massive criticism, but insist it is not “a cheap gesture”. Their renewed condemnation of Britain’s role in Iraq since the 2003 invasion will further widen the rift with Downing Street.

The proposal for a public apology comes in a new report published today. In the report, the bishops plead for more “understanding” of what motivates terrorists. They criticise Western democracies as “deeply flawed” and accuse the US of dangerous expansionism.

[BootinUp]

1. I would rather they demand an apology from Falwell

and Robertson and any other religious leaders in the US who said it was ok to Bomb cities full of innocent people.

[Tace]

2. Every Single One Of These Bishops Is A Complete Coward

Or else they wouldn't be involved in such an absolute bunch of crap.

Wahhh, Wahhh, Wahhh -- They had a war!

[Bluzmann57]

3. That's noble of them

But they should go further. They should demand the immediate resignation of Blair and by extension, bush.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

9. Demand political resignation?

Church and state? (Now I know this is England where the Church and the State are one.)

But what if it were here? Do you feel American Bishops should make the same political demand?

[Bluzmann57]

13. Point taken

Perhaps I should have worded it differently. They should STRONGLY ENCOURAGE the resignation of Blair and bush. Is that better?

[TallahasseeGrannie]

18. Strongly encourage

has a nice ring to it.

Personally, I think they should shout it from the pulpits. But that's just me.

[obxhead]

4. for once I can agree with the church!!!

"They criticise Western democracies as “deeply flawed” and accuse the US of dangerous expansionism."

How right they are.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

5. Well there goes the Church of England

This will send a good number of them back over to Rome.

I've been a member since birth. This won't go over well.

Now, my opinion? I respect the fact that they prayerfully (I would imagine) believe that this is the moral high ground.

My personal concern is how it will be taken by the Muslim world. The two cultures see the concept of confession and reconciliation very differently, I have come to understand.

There are certainly those who will feel this is just accelerating the growth of Eurabia. I have never been to Europe so I have no opinion there.

[rodeodance]

8. i am glad to see this. I hope they come out with a strong statement.

[muriel_volestrangler]

17. Send members back to Rome?

I can't see that at all. After all, the Catholic church in Britain opposed the war - eg http://www.indcatholicnews.com/cardspkout.html . In fact, I'd say that of the active CofE members that I know, far more would approve of this report than disapprove - and I'd think very, very few would leave the church over it.

'Eurabia'? It's a term I've only heard from those who talk about the 'Anglosphere' - the idea that Britain 'belongs' with the US, Australia etc. and not Europe (and note that many of them exclude Canada from the Anglosphere, not so much because of Quebec, more because it's too liberal for them, in the American sense). These kind of people already vote for UKIP or worse. If they're still in the CofE, it's because it's the established church, and they worship tradition rather than listen to what the Anglican clergy say. It wouldn't be a bad thing if the few like that who didn't run screaming from the CofE at the thought of women priests did go somewhere - to the Catholics if their obsession with tradition is overwhelming (though I suspect they'll have to grit their teeth about the Catholics' stance on war), or to some fringe nutters like 'Christian Voice'.

[BootinUp]

6. Ok I read it, and I approve.

[MasonJar]

7. Excuse me, but it seems as if the Bishops have opposed the

Iraq War from its onset as have the majority of the British. It is a stark contrast to some Catholic bishops in US who were more concerned about Kerry's stand on women's rights than the death and destruction of the preemptive war and the molestation of our youth by priests. This is in no way an indictment of the Catholic Church as a whole, only its totally mindless misinterpretation of the ideals of Jesus by some of its mosrt powerful voices.

[Burried News]

12. Thank you - good post. Similar thoughts on my mind too.

The Catholic Bishops made a big mistake and enabled Bush to get reselected.

[Laelth]

10. Indeed, not a cheap gesture.

I've been reading Imperial Hubris lately, and its anonymous author makes an interesting point about how many Muslims react to Christian clerics and clerics, in general. Muslims, generally, revere their clerics, and their clerics have much more power in their societies than ours do. So, when some fundamentalist nut-job over here says something like, "Islam is an evil religion," you and I just dismiss the cleric's comments. We see the cleric for what he is--a deluded hypocrite. Muslims, though, are more likely to believe that the cleric who made the comment actually speaks for Christians and reflects the true beliefs of those Christians.

While you and I might think that what the Church of England's bishops propose is a useless gesture, if this anonymous author is right, the people of the Muslim world might be greatly affected by a public apology from these Western clerics.

This is a very good idea, and I support it fully.

-Laelth

[RevCheesehead]

11. Sounds good to me...

He says: “We suggest that the United States, like all major powers in history, does indeed seek to expand its economic, political and military influence and power. What distinguishes it from many other empires in history is its strong sense of moral righteousness. In this there is both sincere conviction and dangerous illusion.”

He is also critical of the power of the so-called Christian Right on Washington’s policies. The bishops question the US sense of “moral righteousness” and criticise the use of biblical texts by some in the US to support a political agenda in the Middle East. The bishops say: “There is no uniquely righteous nation.”

[bobbieinok]

14. o mi gosh.....this just proves Anglicans are as unAmerican as Catholics

'cause everyone knows America is God's chosen country

above is the probable reaction of the religious wrong

as far as I can tell, according to them God chose the Jews in the OT, but in the NT He chose America

[Wizard777]

15. It is the right thing to do. n/t

[spuddonna]

16. I'm sure there's a Hallmark card for that...

"Didn't mean to invade your country! What a mistake that was! But, don't worry - now that we've reduced your infrastructure to rubble, we won't bomb you anymore! (Well, maybe just a little...) Look for our pullout to save the Republicans in 2006 very soon!

Hope you can forgive us and learn to be a good little democracy. BTW - We're keeping all the strategic bases, but promise to keep the noise level down...

Love and kisses,

The UK and USA"