Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinion Letters

God invoked in warfare

byStaff writers
10 September 2006
Reading Time: 2 mins read
AA
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

THE fighting may have ceased, the bombs and rockets aren’t raining down, but the lives and homes of so many people in Lebanon and Israel lie in ruins.

Once more, brute force was applied long before diplomacy could bring some kind of resolution.

Meanwhile, in Iraq, that war of choice not necessity continues a quagmire from which we here in Australia refuse to disengage.

These recent and ongoing tragic events remind me of the words of General (later President) Eisenhower, who at the end of World War II, said, “I hate war, as only a soldier who has lived through it can; only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility and its stupidity”.

All that was so obviously true when, in the weeks before the Lebanese/Israeli war ceased, we learned that the USA was rushing through an order of precision-guided bombs in the way that someone would rush through an order of shoes or cosmetics to Israel, and to its planes that were bombing sites in Beirut. Beirut was where the US Embassy was working furiously to get its citizens out of the way of American-made and supplied armaments, while George W. Bush kept urging “Restraint”.

Meanwhile, one general commanding the troops evacuating the American citizens said on TV, “This is all about Americans helping Americans, and it gives you a great feeling. This is in fact a labour of love”.

War indeed has its own logic!

At the same time, other US soldiers were bringing in humanitarian aid supplies, a strange source of resources, given that whole areas of Lebanon were undergoing involuntary destruction!

Whatever the vicissitudes of this and every insane conflict, the bottom line is that the ones most affected have been the civilians. It is the children and non-combatants who pay the highest price.

When will we learn that every air strike that produces more innocent death and the destruction of infrastructure is the seedbed for the next generation’s hatred?

Related Stories

Bishops call out racism, gun violence after U.S. shooting

Parishes unite for Logan deanery family festival this Sunday

Lives of the saints – St Kateri Tekakwitha, the Lily of the Mohawks

It has all been an open display of the brutality, futility and stupidity that Eisenhower spoke about 60 years ago. Violence again has shown itself for what it really is.

And the most hideous part is that God is invoked so often.

Christian and Muslim leaders appropriate (misappropriate) the language, symbols and writings of our sacred books, all offering victory and not a word of forgiveness.

It is blasphemous and idolatrous! And the worst thing is that it is immensely popular!

FR PASCHAL KEARNEY

Bremer Bay, WA

ShareTweet
Previous Post

CURIOUS GEORGE

Next Post

Cathedral hosts world class choirs

Staff writers

Related Posts

Bishops call out racism, gun violence after U.S. shooting
World

Bishops call out racism, gun violence after U.S. shooting

17 May 2022
Parishes unite for Logan deanery family festival this Sunday
QLD

Parishes unite for Logan deanery family festival this Sunday

17 May 2022
Lives of the saints – St Kateri Tekakwitha, the Lily of the Mohawks
Faith

Lives of the saints – St Kateri Tekakwitha, the Lily of the Mohawks

17 May 2022
Next Post

Cathedral hosts world class choirs

Society 'deaf' to God

Justice win for workers

Popular News

  • Here are the stories of 10 new saints being canonised this Sunday

    Here are the stories of 10 new saints being canonised this Sunday

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI turned 95 on a ‘very happy’ day

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Parishes unite for Logan deanery family festival this Sunday

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Queensland election: The pro-life political parties committed to abortion law reforms

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Bishops call out racism, gun violence after U.S. shooting
World

Bishops call out racism, gun violence after U.S. shooting

by CNS
17 May 2022
0

SEVERAL U.S. Catholic bishops spoken out against racism and gun violence after a mass shooting in Buffalo,...

Parishes unite for Logan deanery family festival this Sunday

Parishes unite for Logan deanery family festival this Sunday

17 May 2022
Lives of the saints – St Kateri Tekakwitha, the Lily of the Mohawks

Lives of the saints – St Kateri Tekakwitha, the Lily of the Mohawks

17 May 2022
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI turned 95 on a ‘very happy’ day

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI turned 95 on a ‘very happy’ day

17 May 2022
Cleanup begins after floodwaters swamp South East Queensland again

Cleanup begins after floodwaters swamp South East Queensland again

16 May 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping