"The truth is that Christianity has been hijacked by an ideology of empire which is backed by huge financial resources. Language about being born again is actually entirely appropriate to the transformational theology of mainstream Christianity; but it has been co-opted and distorted by a pernicious crusading ideology which paints itself as being the guys in the white hats at war against an 'axis of evil'."There are radical alternatives to this triumphalist religious ideology, but they get precious little air time. Norman Kember and his friends, in doing peace and reconciliation work in Iraq, knew that they would always be in danger, but they did it in the name of a Christ who said that whatever was done to the least of men and women was done to him.
"The word 'martyr' means 'witness to truth'. Mr Kember and his friends may well have experienced a more deadly martyrdom – or may yet do. A pre-Christmas season which has Wallace and Gromit on the Advent calendars doesn't get anywhere near the heart of the matter."
(Ron Ferguson, writing in The Herald, Scotland)
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