Nineteen bishops have joined the row over the replacement of Britain’s nuclear weapons by warning the Prime Minister that the possession of Trident is “evil” and “profoundly anti-God”.
Religious arguments against the development of a new generation of nuclear weapons could unsettle Tony Blair, who is a regular churchgoer.
The letter says: “Trident and other nuclear arsenals threaten long-term and fatal damage to the global environment and its people. As such, their end is evil and both possession and use profoundly anti-God acts.”
The signatories to the letter include the Rt Rev Peter Price, the Bishop of Bath and Wells; Dr David James, the Bishop of Bradford; Jack Nicholls, the Bishop of Sheffield; and Colin Bennetts, the Bishop of Coventry.
(Source: The Independent)
I think it’s wonderful to see powerful religious leaders taking a moral stand about an issue which is crucial for every Briton. Too often, we see religious leaders pontificating about what we should be doing with our genitals and leaving more pressing concerns to one side.
It’s not just that the use of nuclear weapons would leave humanity in tatters and the Earth poisoned for millennia. We have to consider the huge amount of money being poured into these weapons programs, money that could be building hospitals and schools, investing in the life of Britain.
As I’ve asked before, why is it that right-wingers like Blair and Bush only believe in huge public spending if it’s invested in weapons?
Every time I see a weapon like Trident, I think of the sheer waste of money, the mis-allocation of our taxes. And the war corporations who grow fat from our stupidity.