Building Bridges?
What with the death of Martin McGuiness, ex-IRA leader, Leader of the Stormont Parliament in Nothern Ireland, and other events (Westminster, Mosul, Iraq) questions are again being asked about whether it is right to speak with terrorists, or even possible to negotiate a peace.
Well, it worked, eventually, in Northern Ireland. Though the way things are going, what with the various parties seemingly unwilling to come to any form of power-sharing agreement, whether this happens again is a moot point. Let's pray the situation doesn't deteriorate further, either into Direct Rule from Westminster or back into the old sectarian violence of the Troubles.
Having grown up during the Troubles, though in England and thus at more than one remove, I remember what it was like. There were shootings, murders, 'executions', bombs. But the thing about the bombs was that (generally) the IRA (or whomever) would plant the bomb, run away and later detonate it.
Often they'd telephone the police to warn them that there was a bomb somewhere due to explode at x time. Sometimes the bomb would be discovered and rendered harmless, sometimes it would go off. What none of the groups involved the Irish sectarian divide was suicide bombings.
Eventually peace was negotiated.
These days acts of terrorism have changed. The ones which affect us in the West seem to be (mainly) young men who, having been born and grown up in a Western country, have become angry, disillusioned and attracted by radical Islam. They're then used by such as IS/Daesh as disposable - for all various Muslims may say that Islam is a religion of peace.
No bomb-planting, definitely no warnings. Just maximum death, disruption and a promised place in the Muslim heaven, in the attempt to bring the whole of the Middle East and beyond under Sharia Law.
How do you combat idealogy like that?
Both the Northern Ireland and the modern terrorisms are inspired by religion.
However the main difference between the terrorism of the Troubles and terrorism inspired by Daesh/IS is that Christianity is a religion of reconcilliation.
Yes, too many terrible things have been done in the name of Christianity but the real message of the Gospel is
"that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And He has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation." 2 Corinthians 5:19
God built the bridge between Himself and us through the death of Christ on the cross. Therefore we can be reconciled with him. And we can then be reconciled with each other.
Y'all have a good day now!
Well, it worked, eventually, in Northern Ireland. Though the way things are going, what with the various parties seemingly unwilling to come to any form of power-sharing agreement, whether this happens again is a moot point. Let's pray the situation doesn't deteriorate further, either into Direct Rule from Westminster or back into the old sectarian violence of the Troubles.
Having grown up during the Troubles, though in England and thus at more than one remove, I remember what it was like. There were shootings, murders, 'executions', bombs. But the thing about the bombs was that (generally) the IRA (or whomever) would plant the bomb, run away and later detonate it.
Often they'd telephone the police to warn them that there was a bomb somewhere due to explode at x time. Sometimes the bomb would be discovered and rendered harmless, sometimes it would go off. What none of the groups involved the Irish sectarian divide was suicide bombings.
Eventually peace was negotiated.
These days acts of terrorism have changed. The ones which affect us in the West seem to be (mainly) young men who, having been born and grown up in a Western country, have become angry, disillusioned and attracted by radical Islam. They're then used by such as IS/Daesh as disposable - for all various Muslims may say that Islam is a religion of peace.
No bomb-planting, definitely no warnings. Just maximum death, disruption and a promised place in the Muslim heaven, in the attempt to bring the whole of the Middle East and beyond under Sharia Law.
How do you combat idealogy like that?
Both the Northern Ireland and the modern terrorisms are inspired by religion.
However the main difference between the terrorism of the Troubles and terrorism inspired by Daesh/IS is that Christianity is a religion of reconcilliation.
Yes, too many terrible things have been done in the name of Christianity but the real message of the Gospel is
"that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And He has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation." 2 Corinthians 5:19
God built the bridge between Himself and us through the death of Christ on the cross. Therefore we can be reconciled with him. And we can then be reconciled with each other.
Y'all have a good day now!