Today is the trident debate in Parliament. I have been one of those people, together with a number of Church leaders nationally and locally who has been lobbying against the replacement of the Trident Missile system. There are various reasons for my thoughts on this.
Firstly, as a Christian, I find the use of weapons of mass destruction to be inconsistent with the life and witness of Jesus Christ. The kind of destruction that today’s nuclear weapons would wreak is surely unnacceptable to anyone who has an ethical bone in their body. The deterrent argument assumes a level of rational and responsible thinking, which in the current global political climate, can no longer be assumed, not least in the Middle East. What right do we have to be telling Iran what to do when we are about to re-arm ourselves?
Secondly, the costs involved, although they would constitute only 1% of our GDP are still colossal. Such resources could be better used to build a safer world by doing more to aid the world’s poor and marginalised. From what I read, some of that money could be better used in making sure that the our current armed forces have the right equipment for the job and housing of a good standard.
Thirdly, you can’t help but feel that somehow, ‘being a nuclear power’ is exactly that. It is about raw power and carries with it the pathetic inference if you want to be a ‘big boy’ in the arena of global politics you have to have a nuclear arsenal. This is surely adolescent. How much more mature to take a stand on what is right and to do all we can to rid the world of these appalling weapons.
Who said Bishops never speak up?
March 14, 2007 at 4:04 pm
Well done!
I’ve been reading the book you recommended ” The expansion of Christianity” by Timothy Yates, and noticed that a lot of Bishops in the past spoke up and were martyred for it. I hope that doesn’t happen these days, but we need sensible, wise Bishops to use their position in the political arena more as a positive, challenging, Christian influence in today’s world and bring people’s attention to what is happening.
Keep it up Mike!
March 16, 2007 at 3:26 am
Thank you Bishop Mike, for taking this stand. Perhaps some western nations will do well to practice what they preach; while on the one hand expect some nations not to pursue nuclear weapons (eg. Iran, N Korea) encourages other nations to go for it… Pure hypocrisy in the name of “responsibility” and “war on terror”- What about the terror within? Shalom, Sj
March 16, 2007 at 11:23 am
Yes, thanks Bishop MIke for taking this stand. It is such a shame more MP’s didn’t.
March 16, 2007 at 6:45 pm
Thanks so much for this – years back I lobbied parliament and we spoke to Sir Ian Gilmour – our then Tory MP – and got a very lofty cynical reply to our questions on arms and the sale of these to other countries who eventually used them against us!! IIt is such a relief to read your piece on Trident – I agree with everything you have written. One can’t help feeling that if we didn’t spend so much on arms our erstwhile fantastic NHS could be restored to its former glory. Many thanks
March 16, 2007 at 7:16 pm
Thank you, Mike for doing this. It’s great to know you are on the case. WE pray for you during Intercessions, when I do it, for your role nationally and internationally just as I promised years ago when you told us of your new appointment. We stand alongside in support and I truly believe that Bishops must stand up and be counted at such a time as this! With love to all,
Celia Palmer
March 22, 2007 at 12:35 am
Thank you for expressing so well what we think about nuclear arms. We should not spend money (needed for other humanitarian causes, of which there are so many) on these. Should there be a nuclear war we would all suffer from the effects of fallout anyway. We fail to see how Trident can be “defensive”.
You and Anthea are often in our prayers.
March 22, 2007 at 3:26 pm
I’m all for bishops speaking up, as long as it’s about the right things. And this certainlly is.
April 27, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Thanks Mike for standing up to be counted. I have never understood the argument that says other countries can’t have nuclear weapons but we can. How do we expect them to go along with that? Nuclear weapons are truly apocalyptic.
It seems to me that the way to rid the world of them is to lead from the front; but then you know all about that! Thanks for your wisdom on this. I hope some of your fellow bishops will join you in making a stand.