There is perhaps a little more logic behind the suggestion that Donald Trump might recognise those areas of Ukraine occupied by Putin as Russian territory than there was to Keir Starmer’s recognition of a Palestinian State. At least in this case, there is a clear identification of what territory and who is the Government. However,… Continue reading 1938 and 2025: Trump’s latest plan for Ukraine
Tag: war
Why we remember
It’s 107 years since the end of the great war that was meant to end all wars. It didn’t. In fact a second world war was fought just 21 years later. We were meant to learn from the evils of that war too, particular the horrors of the Holocaust yet antisemitism and the appeal of… Continue reading Why we remember
Are we depending too much on military might? A response to Symon Hill on Keir Starmer’s increase of the Defence Budget
Symon Hill argues in Premier Christianity that Kier Starmer is wrong to spend more on defence. His argument is two-fold. First, he argues that a strong military defence does not work as a deterrent and secondly that it is wrong to do this because it means that we are putting our trust in military forces… Continue reading Are we depending too much on military might? A response to Symon Hill on Keir Starmer’s increase of the Defence Budget
Giving Putin everything he wants?
Donald Trump has suggested that Russia is easier to talk to than Ukraine. It’s worth thinking about why that might be. Consider what Trump is pushing for. Not only do those proposals favour Russia and not Ukraine but three of them align with Russians prevear aims to expand into Eastern Ukraine, to have a more… Continue reading Giving Putin everything he wants?
Can anyone tell me now where we were wrong about Trump (reflections on what is now happening in Ukraine)
Both in 2016 and again in 2024, some Evangelical Christians, including me, expressed serious concerns both about the election of President Trump and the support he was receiving from Evangelical thought leaders. Whilst such concerns are strongly shared by many, there has also been a dismissiveness from others. For example, Evangelicals Now published two articles,… Continue reading Can anyone tell me now where we were wrong about Trump (reflections on what is now happening in Ukraine)
Russia-Ukraine and the elephant in the room
The Ukraine-Russia war rumbles on. In the early days, it looked like Ukraine might be quickly overrun. Then a gallant fightback and western support along with significant failings and weaknesses on the Russian side led to the balance shifting in Ukraine’s favour. However the counter offensive was largely ineffective and now, once again the balance… Continue reading Russia-Ukraine and the elephant in the room
Grieving the evil of war
I recently wrote that “war is an evil”. I wrote this to respond to and distinguish from Scott McKnight’s argument that war is itself a crime, it isn’t just about the committing of war crimes. What this enables us to do is to recognise that sadly, in a fallen world, war is sometimes necessary and… Continue reading Grieving the evil of war
A primer on International law and ethics for those engaging with current news stories
Back when I was at University, I had the opportunity as part of my Law degree to study a subject called “International Law.” At the time, that specific area of law was the poor relation of all other options offered by the faculty. In fact, there was still significant debate about whether or not it… Continue reading A primer on International law and ethics for those engaging with current news stories
Is war a crime?
Scott McKnight writes: “Why do more Christians not recognize what war experts know, namely, that “we fight war crimes but have forgotten the crime of war”?” https://scotmcknight.substack.com/p/sponges-and-war-immoral-word-choices?r=1nrx1&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post I must admit I’m not too sure who these “war experts” are or what it is that makes someone a “war expert.” However, I am not convinced by… Continue reading Is war a crime?
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem
On Saturday we woke up to horrific news from Israel as Hamas terrorists had cut through security fencing and infiltrated into much of southern Israel where they had gunned people down and taken hostages. They had also launched extensive rocket attacks on Israel. We are used to tensions in the Middle East but something seemed… Continue reading Pray for the peace of Jerusalem
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