Comments on: COMMENT: On the visit of HH Pope Benedict XVI to Australia

By: Michael Minshall

Michael Minshall — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 06:40:20 +0000

“God wants Peace”. Great idea. But peace on whose terms? Every warmonger starts a war with God on his side. If God doesn’t support you, how “in heaven” do you expect to gain the support of the people. If the people don’t support you then you can’t have much of a war. So, before starting a war, you have to confer with God & get His full backing; then you communicate this to the people & you’re off & running. Unfortunately, God hates losers & always backs the Winner…So, lose the war & you will know, along with your suffering people, that God deserted you in your time of need. Perhaps if God would stop meddling in human affairs there’d be fewer wars; perhaps in time none.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:59:14 +0000

If you look into all wars it has more to do with vested interest. These vested interests corrupt religion to provide emotional support for their cause. It is simply an easy way to win the masses to accept the unpleasant journey and for them to pay with their lives. Religious heads make only puerile sounds that approximate objection to preserve their morale high ground.

The soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan and the the suicide bombers are all pawns of vested interest. Look at the money flow behind and it will add clarity to numerous wars including those led to the partitioning of former countries (eg Cyprus), sectarian strife (Sri Lanka and until recently in Northern Island), the current occupation of Iraq…the list goes on and on.

Reasons are easy to invent, and religion is often a store of prejudice that can be easily tapped by those wishing to protect their power, often with religion lending willing support because it serve their own needs. Religion for example was one of the tools used to open up China for purely commercial reasons. Persecution of missionaries and local converts the reason often used to squeeze concessions. Religions often invent their own “just” logic for what is convenient for them.

Other than self-defence and protection of “INNOCENT” lives there cannot be any justification for fanning the fires for war.

By: unpredictably rational

unpredictably rational — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:07:32 +0000

Whatever the pope says will not matter. Religion, by definition, is anti-thinking, anti-reality - it is subjective, hence arbitrary (witness thousands of gods in human history). Objective (scientific) disputes are resolved by reference to the real facts, what can the religionists refer to? If they create more than one god (or interpretation of god), they are left with only one way to resolve their disputes - force.

By: Adedapo F Akintunde

Adedapo F Akintunde — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:50:44 +0000

(1)there has never been a good war, or a bad peace
(2)War starts where human intellect stops

By: john buchanan

john buchanan — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:01:43 +0000

having just visited the Australian War memorial it highlights what an unforgivable waste of life war is

By: Peter Tooke

Peter Tooke — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 06:53:33 +0000

Dr Peter Vardy speaks a great deal about ‘just war’ and maintains that throughout history there have been weapons of war and acts of war that have been seen to be acceptable (for the greater good) while others have been classified as unacceptable. The Geneva Convention sets out rights and obligations. So, for example, it is acceptable to question prisioners but not submits them to torture. Other examples of unacceptable weapons in the current climate would include the use of cluster bombs, land mines and nuclear bombs.

It seems to me that many of the wars and conflicts in the past have centred around the religious rather than on principle.

I wonder what the middle east conflicts would be like currently had the United Nations taken action against Saddam Hussein rather than backing away from taking action and thereby leaving open the chance for George W Bush to act. Saddam was responsible for the deaths of hundred of thousands of Iraqis and should have been overthrown by the UN following his complete refusal to comply with UN resolutions at the time. Instead I think most Iraqis believe the war was based upon religious differences between Christianity and Islam. Pity!

The Pope could use his foray into Australia to preach the issue of ‘just war’. But I suspect much of his fleeting visit will centre upon paedolphilia within the Church and or on the pseudo schism being promoted by fundamentalist Christians.

It will be interesting to see what the media make of it all!

By: Robert

Robert — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 17:17:17 +0000

VERY ENLIGHTENING! PEACE TO YOU AND TO ALL THOSE DIFFERENT FROM OURSELVES (MYSELF). UNITY (ENTANGLEMENT) IS OUR COMMON DENOMINATOR, WHETHER WE KNOW IT OR NOT.

By: Andy

Andy — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 15:04:27 +0000

Religion does have a lot to answer for.
Every war is fought because someone has a belief that the war is necessary.
What an argument for the power of the right beliefs.
Ultimately all wars are destructive by their very nature.
Yet the majority of religions have peace as the ultimate goal.
Spot the paradox.
If only we could all believe in peace, truth, fair-play and love then the need for settling differences through fighting might disappear. Many’just wars’ have indeed been fought against those who have no interest in peace and love. Until we can turn all men’s thoughts to the need for ultimate world peace, I fear this will always be so.

By: Linda

Linda — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 08:08:27 +0000

It would be nice to think this pope is the start of a new era. Convincing those hell bent on war in areas that do not recognise the pope may be another story

By: Barbara Nwosu

Barbara Nwosu — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:28:55 +0000

It’s about time. Most of the world’s problem have been created by flawed thinking. Non-integrated thinking is the cause of the “Anticivilization” which consists of war, starvation, greed and self destruction.

It is time for a change!