{"id":12394,"date":"2018-04-19T19:30:51","date_gmt":"2018-04-19T18:30:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/?p=12394"},"modified":"2025-07-10T07:57:06","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T06:57:06","slug":"peers-and-clerics-in-damascus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/peers-and-clerics-in-damascus\/","title":{"rendered":"Christian peers and clerics in Damascus"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_12397\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12397\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/peers-and-clerics-in-damascus\/baroness_cox\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12397\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12397\" src=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Baroness Cox, who was in Damascus last weekend, campaigns tirelessly for persecuted Christians worldwide\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox-600x800.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12397\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Baroness Cox, who was in Damascus last weekend, campaigns tirelessly for persecuted Christians worldwide<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A group of peers and clerics was in Syria hours after Saturday&#8217;s bombing, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.christiantoday.com\/article\/british.church.leaders.and.peers.meet.with.syrian.officials.hours.after.bombing\/128440.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Christian Today has reported<\/a><\/strong>. \u00a0<em>(All our links open automatically in a new tab.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The delegation included Lord Dykes and was led by Baroness Cox. \u00a0The trip was planned some months ago, and went ahead despite the bombings. \u00a0Naturally, it attracted a chorus of disapproval.<\/p>\n<p>Caroline Cox has a history of standing up for persecuted Christians worldwide. \u00a0 <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.britsattheirbest.com\/heroes_adventurers\/h_baroness_cox.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">She has been in Armenia, China, Indonesia, Sudan and many other places<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>On Syria, Baroness Cox\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hart-uk.org\/news\/baroness-cox-receives-answers-written-questions-syria-overseas-aid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>asked a question in Parliament<\/strong><\/a> in December 2017 which forced the Government to admit it had given \u00a360m to opposition groups in Syria, including \u00a310m of our money to armed factions.<\/p>\n<p>Rt Rev Michael Langrish, former bishop of Exeter, was present. \u00a0So was Rev Andrew Ashdown, who organised the visit. \u00a0Rev Giles Fraser, currently in charge of St Mary Newington (South London), was also in the group.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/news\/6069332\/church-leaders-go-to-syria\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The report in the Sun<\/a><\/strong> quoted Nigel Evans MP describing them as &#8216;useful idiots&#8217; of &#8216;Assad&#8217;. \u00a0 <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/parliament-in-group-speak-over-syria\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">We reported just days ago<\/a><\/strong> on the &#8216;group-think&#8217; in Parliament.<\/p>\n<h2>Giles Fraser &#8216;peacenik&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/voices\/commentators\/david-aaronovitch-dont-ask-me-to-weep-if-christianity-is-vanquished-9204057.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Anti-Christian<\/a><\/strong> journalist\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.co.uk\/article\/bloody-dictators-love-a-gullible-peacenik-6lxn02cg7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">David Aaronovitch, writing in the Times<\/a><\/strong>, was even more scathing. \u00a0He picked particularly on Giles Fraser, describing him as &#8216;a peacenik&#8217;.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12396\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12396\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/peers-and-clerics-in-damascus\/giles-picture\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12396\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12396\" src=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Giles-picture-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Rev Giles Fraser posted this view of Damascus from the minister's window.\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Giles-picture-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Giles-picture-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Giles-picture-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Giles-picture-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Giles-picture.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12396\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rev Giles Fraser posted this view of Damascus from the minister&#8217;s window.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/giles_fraser\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A tweet from Canon Fraser<\/a><\/strong> drew the particular ire of Aaronovitch. \u00a0Dated 15th April, it said: &#8216;Fascinating meeting today discussing the long tradition of religious pluralism in Syria with the Minister for Religious Affairs. And the view from his office window.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Mr Aaronovitch wrote: &#8216;Given their ubiquity in Baathist Syria it\u2019s quite possible that one of the buildings glimpsed from the window could have been a regime detention centre.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Has anyone said the Syrian government is not repressive?<\/p>\n<p>But the only alternative to it is the murdering jihadists financed by the UK, the US and the Sunni Muslim Gulf nations.<\/p>\n<p>And out of the two, the Christians, Druze, Shia Muslims and Alawites of Syria know which they prefer.<\/p>\n<h2>Armaments fund Christians&#8217; critics<\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2018\/04\/15\/british-peers-priests-met-syrian-officials-hours-uk-airstrike\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Daily Telegraph quoted one Dr Hisham Hellyer<\/a><\/strong>. \u00a0\u201cWhen British peers and Christian clergy have been to Damascus in the past, they were rightly condemned as presenting an image of appeasement to Assad\u2019s regime, and showing him as some sort of protector of Christians, as though Syrian Muslims mattered for nought.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Well, it isn&#8217;t that the Syrian Sunni Muslims, to be specific, &#8216;matter for nought.&#8217; \u00a0It is that if they were in power, all the others would be murdered or driven out.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_10447\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10447\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/missile-strike-follows-idlib-gas-attack\/tomahawk_missile_624\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-10447\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-10447\" src=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/tomahawk_missile_624-300x192.jpg\" alt=\"Tomahawk missile. What the BBC graphic does not say is 'Cost $250,000'. The 2017 attack cost the US Defense Department $14,750,000. Shares in Raytheon jumped 1.7% in the wake of the 2017 missile strike. Raytheon help fund the Atlantic Council.\" width=\"450\" height=\"288\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/tomahawk_missile_624-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/tomahawk_missile_624-600x385.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/tomahawk_missile_624.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-10447\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tomahawk missile. What the BBC graphic does not say is &#8216;Cost $250,000&#8217;. The 2017 attack cost the US Defense Department $14,750,000. Shares in Raytheon jumped 1.7% in the wake of the 2017 missile strike. Raytheon help fund the Atlantic Council.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But this is interesting. \u00a0Dr Hellyer is &#8216;a senior research fellow at the Atlantic Council and the Royal United Services Institute in London&#8217;. \u00a0The Daily Telegraph says so. \u00a0And where does the seemingly-neutral Atlantic Council receive funding from?<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.atlanticcouncil.org\/support\/supporters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Its own website lists<\/a><\/strong> the UK Foreign Office, US Dept of State, NATO and the United Arab Emirates. \u00a0They all hate Bashar Al-Assad. \u00a0Also listed are Rockefeller Brothers, Chevron Oil, Carnegie and a number of other merchant banks.<\/p>\n<p>Arms manufacturers Raytheon, who make the Tomahawk missiles used last weekend, give money to Atlantic Council. \u00a0Their shares rose after the 2017 attack. \u00a0They have just risen again. \u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/no-chemical-weapons-barzah-jamaya-opcw\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">No matter that at least two of the sites they bombed had no chemical weapons there<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/no-chemical-weapons-barzah-jamaya-opcw\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">according to the OPCW<\/a><\/strong>. \u00a0Arms manufacturers Boeing, Lockheed Martin and\u00a0Northrop Grumman also fund Atlantic Council.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/notinthenews.uk\/sign-of-the-times\/us-think-tanks-funded-by-defense-companies-that-lobby-for-war-and-how-threats-against-syria-are-good-for-the-stock-market\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Brendan McDermid of Reuters muses<\/a><\/strong>: \u00a0&#8216;For some reason, diplomacy does not seem to be high on the Atlantic Council\u2019s agenda.&#8217;<\/p>\n<h2>UK Christians met President Assad in 2016<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12398\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12398\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/peers-and-clerics-in-damascus\/cox-2016\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12398\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12398\" src=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Cox-2016-300x188.jpg\" alt=\"President Bashar al-Assad flanked by (l-r) Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, Rev Andrew Ashdown, Lord Hylton and Baroness Cox. We do not know the identity of the other three persons.\" width=\"400\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Cox-2016-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Cox-2016-600x375.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Cox-2016-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Cox-2016.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12398\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">President Bashar al-Assad flanked by (l-r) Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, Rev Andrew Ashdown, Lord Hylton and Baroness Cox. We do not know the identity of the other three persons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This is not the first time Baroness Cox and Andrew Ashdown have been in Syria. \u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.premierchristianity.com\/Past-Issues\/2016\/October-2016\/Baroness-Cox-defends-meeting-with-President-Assad\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">They formed part of a delegation in September 2016<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/information\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">As we reported in our October 2016 newsletter<\/a><\/strong>, the Christian delegation flew to Damascus at the invitation of local Christian leaders.<\/p>\n<p>They were condemned by anti-Assad voices in the UK, but Baroness Cox defended the trip.<\/p>\n<p>She said: \u201cYou\u2019re in the country, you want to meet as many people as you can. You go to raise concerns, which you can\u2019t do if you don\u2019t meet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe main purpose was to hear the voices of the people of Syria.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>&#8216;Let us decide our own future&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p>Baroness Cox said the Syrian people were anxious about foreign intervention. \u201cThey plead with us: \u2018Please do not let the British government and the international community bring about an enforced regime change, let us decide our own future\u2019, and the government is doing a lot to try to promote reconciliation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Rev Andrew Ashdown said: \u201cThe people within Syria, of all faiths and all sectarian backgrounds, are appalled at the narrowness of Western media reporting and one-sidedness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bishop Nazir-Ali added, \u201cBritain maintains relations with and encourages visits to countries like the Sudan, Iran and Zimbabwe. Why is Assad demonised to this extent? In the Middle East, the choice is not between angels and monsters but between one kind of monster and another. With all my experience, I cannot say that he is the worst of all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Baroness Cox voiced the fears of local people that \u201c the West\u2019s plans for regime change would be disastrous \u2026 and they would become another Iraq.\u201d \u00a0That was why, before last weekend&#8217;s raid, we were praying:\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/douma-stop-the-west-rushing-to-war\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Douma: Stop the West rushing to war!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Christians in Syria<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12400\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12400\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/peers-and-clerics-in-damascus\/orthodox-damascus\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12400\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Orthodox-Damascus-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Orthodox Christians in Damascus\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Orthodox-Damascus-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Orthodox-Damascus-600x337.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Orthodox-Damascus.jpg 690w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12400\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Orthodox Christians in Damascus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>We (that is, Evangelicals) have a tendency to regard the Christians in Syria as not quite like us. \u00a0They do weird things like light candles and wear funny hats. \u00a0We can be tempted to think they are not even born again. \u00a0(As if there are two classes of Christians, &#8216;born-agains&#8217; and &#8216;non-born-agains.&#8217;) \u00a0Discuss in the comments!<\/p>\n<p>Most Syrian Christians are in communion either with the Greek and Russian Orthodox. \u00a0There are also Eastern Orthodox. \u00a0Then there are the Eastern, or Melkite, Catholics.<\/p>\n<p>Christians in Syria used to form 10% of the pre-war 22 million population. \u00a0Only a minority of Christians in Syria are Protestant. \u00a0The Anglican church in Damascus is <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.j-diocese.org\/index.php?lang=en&amp;page=institutions&amp;sub=129698384050\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">currently closed because of the unrest<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>But nevertheless, this Easter, Christians all over Syria were able to celebrate the Risen Lord Jesus, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/syrian-christians-celebrate-easter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">as we reported at the time<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Russian Cyber Attacks<\/h2>\n<p>Recently, an MP told me that Russia is mounting &#8216;cyber attacks&#8217; against the UK. \u00a0(As if we don&#8217;t do exactly the same thing.) \u00a0The attacks were not specified, but message was clear. \u00a0&#8216;The Russians are attacking us! \u00a0Stop seeing any good at all in them!&#8217; \u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.elise.com\/quotes\/hermann_goering_-_the_people_can_always_be_brought_to_the_bidding_of_the_leaders\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">That leads me to this fascinating quote<\/a><\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cWhy, of course, the people don\u2019t want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? \u00a0Naturally, the common people don\u2019t want war. \u00a0Neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. \u00a0That is understood. \u00a0But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>&#8220;Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The man who said that was Hermann Goering (<a href=\"http:\/\/answers.google.com\/answers\/main?cmd=threadview&amp;id=235519\">as told to Gustav Gilbert during the Nuremberg trials<\/a>)<\/p>\n<h2>Talking up the &#8216;Russian threat&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p>There is plainly no threat to the UK of a Russian invasion.\u00a0 Consequently, the &#8216;threat&#8217; has to be of the mysterious &#8216;cyber&#8217; variety.\u00a0 No doubt all countries are getting up to all kinds of cyber trickery on each other.\u00a0 <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/politics\/russia-uk-propaganda-cyber-attack-threat-mps-probe-kremlin-influence-putin-a8313491.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">And now news comes from the Independent that senior MPs are getting together<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 Chairmen of the top House of Commons Select Committees will collaborate on the &#8216;Russian threat&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p>We read: &#8216;Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat will lead the new\u00a0&#8220;Russia Co-ordinating Group&#8221;, along with Labour&#8217;s Home Affairs Committee head Yvette Cooper, Treasury Committee boss Nicky Morgan, and the heads of intelligence, defence, DCMS\u00a0and national security bodies.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>And here is the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/news\/6068752\/russia-targeted-millions-of-uk-computers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sun claiming Russia targets MILLIONS of UK computers<\/a><\/strong>. \u00a0In 2016, the Washington Post claimed Russian hackers had gained access to the electric grid in Vermont. \u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snopes.com\/fact-check\/report-vermont-power-grid-infiltrated-by-russian-hackers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">It was a false claim<\/a><\/strong>. \u00a0Undeterred, the FBI <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.utilitydive.com\/news\/dhs-fbi-say-russian-hackers-are-targeting-the-energy-sector\/519245\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">have put out a new report<\/a><\/strong> claiming Russian hackers are trying to disrupt energy supplies. \u00a0It seems light on security advice, such as &#8216;install security software&#8217;, &#8216;never open attachments&#8217; and &#8216;do not click on unexpected links.&#8217; \u00a0But it&#8217;s heavy on scare.<\/p>\n<p>Russia was suspected of a cyber-attack on the Ukraine electricity system in 2015. \u00a0For all the effort whoever it was put into it, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/December_2015_Ukraine_power_grid_cyberattack\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wikipedia tells us<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0a mere 0.015% of daily electricity was not supplied. \u00a0It still cut off 230,000 people for between one and six hours. \u00a0A second attack, a year later, caused little more trouble but was more automated. \u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/crash-override-malware\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">However, the same article<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>says the US and Israel also targeted an Iranian nuclear installation in 2009. \u00a0Clearly, everyone is at it.<\/p>\n<h2>Fake News and Money Laundering<\/h2>\n<p>Along with the &#8216;cyber threat&#8217;, the MPs will consider &#8216;fake news&#8217; or propaganda.\u00a0 That&#8217;s the likes of Russia Today (RT), Sputnik, Off-Guardian and (surely not!) Christian Voice.\u00a0 But &#8216;fake news&#8217; is in the eye of the beholder.\u00a0 Are the people of Britain not grown-up enough to decide who is telling the truth?\u00a0 That is the reasoning behind what we used to call &#8216;a free press&#8217; and &#8216;freedom of speech&#8217;.\u00a0 Unless you take Goering&#8217;s view and conclude that the non-mainstream media interfere with the government&#8217;s process of telling us we are being attacked.<\/p>\n<p>The third &#8216;Russian threat&#8217; is the money laundering said to be done in London by Russian oligarchs.\u00a0 So here is where it all looks like an exercise in clutching at straws.\u00a0 &#8216;Money laundering&#8217; is ubiquitous.\u00a0 Is it really a security threat?<\/p>\n<p>So we are left with &#8216;cyber warfare&#8217;.\u00a0 And on that, we are urged to accept the word of our leaders that it is a real threat to the UK and that the UK (and US) is not also engaging in it.\u00a0 They will have, sadly, an uphill task.\u00a0 Some of us still remember Dodgy Dossiers, 45 minutes, &#8216;sexed-up&#8217; intelligence and &#8216;the 70,000&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Psalm 7:14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Better to be at peace<\/h2>\n<p>Surely the best alternative (unless you are an arms manufacturer) is to be on better terms with the Russian Federation?\u00a0 Is that completely impossible?\u00a0 Who says so?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Rom 12:18\u00a0 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.\u00a0<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Heb 12:14\u00a0 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Prince Vladimir accepted the Christian faith for the &#8216;Rus&#8217; in Kiev in 988 AD.\u00a0 Would it not be a good idea to talk peaceably to the leaders of this great Christian nation?\u00a0 Should we not seek common ground against the real threat of militant Islam, for example?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Psalm 34:14\u00a0 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Thank God for the UK delegation in Syria.\u00a0 Pray for words of peace and understanding.\u00a0 Pray for repentance in our leaders.\u00a0 <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/politics\/theresa-may-commonwealth-homosexuality-laws-lgbt-rights-africa-caribbean-a8308256.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Theresa May<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/newsbeat-43797566\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Boris Johnson<\/a><\/strong> have only this week been trying to force gay rights on the <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-43822234\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">nations of the Commonwealth<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 Lord, change their hearts.\u00a0 And send your Holy Spirit into your people as we pray for our land:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Jer 29:7\u00a0 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>We&#8217;ll really appreciate your support<br \/>\nClick below to join Christian Voice and stand up for the King of kings<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/wp.me\/P1OVTZ-gb\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3940\" style=\"border: 0px;\" title=\"Join Today!\" src=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Join_donate_Logo2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"185\" height=\"180\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><em><strong>Click on the social media links below to share this post:<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A group of peers and clerics was in Syria hours after Saturday&#8217;s bombing, Christian Today has reported. \u00a0(All our links open automatically in a new tab.) The delegation included Lord Dykes and was led by Baroness Cox. \u00a0The trip was planned some months ago, and went ahead despite the bombings. \u00a0Naturally, it attracted a chorus [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12397,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33,144,121,184],"tags":[1645,3791,410,3797,3812,2132,1220,3801,3804,488,3811,3800,15,646,960,1603,3794,1607,3808,2017,3792,3807,3814,3813,3795,1436,3802,3789,3806,3809,3790,3805,422,1175,3793,3803,3815,3796,2706,3798,3810,419,43,390,3031,3799],"class_list":["post-12394","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-christian-freedom","category-freedom-of-speech","category-globalism-depopulation-id","category-uk-christian-constitution","tag-alawites","tag-andrew-ashdown","tag-assad","tag-atlantic-council","tag-baptists","tag-baroness-cox","tag-bashar-al-assad","tag-boeing","tag-brendan-mcdermid","tag-carnegie","tag-charles-spurgeon","tag-chevron","tag-christian-voice","tag-christians","tag-daily-telegraph","tag-damascus","tag-david-aaronovitch","tag-druze","tag-eastern-orthodox","tag-foreign-office","tag-giles-fraser","tag-greek-orthodox","tag-gustav-gilbert","tag-hermann-goering","tag-hisham-hellyer","tag-jihadists","tag-lockheed-martin","tag-lord-dykes","tag-lord-hylton-caroline-cox","tag-melkite","tag-michael-langrish","tag-michael-nazir-ali","tag-muslims","tag-nato","tag-nigel-evans-mp","tag-northrop-grumman","tag-nuremberg","tag-raytheon","tag-rockefeller","tag-royal-united-services-institute","tag-russian-orthodox","tag-shia","tag-stephen-green","tag-syria","tag-tomahawk","tag-united-arab-emirates"],"aioseo_notices":[],"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",1200,1600,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",1200,1600,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",1200,1600,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox-225x300.jpg",225,300,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox-768x1024.jpg",640,853,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",1152,1536,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",1200,1600,false],"td_0x420":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",315,420,false],"td_80x60":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",45,60,false],"td_100x75":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",56,75,false],"td_180x135":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",101,135,false],"td_238x178":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",134,178,false],"td_265x198":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",149,198,false],"td_300x160":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",120,160,false],"td_300x194":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",146,194,false],"td_300x350":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",263,350,false],"td_341x220":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",165,220,false],"td_341x400":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",300,400,false],"td_511x400":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",300,400,false],"td_537x360":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",270,360,false],"td_640x0":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",640,853,false],"td_640x350":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",263,350,false],"td_681x0":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",681,908,false],"td_681x400":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",300,400,false],"td_741x486":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",365,486,false],"td_1021x580":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",435,580,false],"ultp_layout_landscape_large":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Baroness_Cox.jpg",600,800,false],"ultp_layout_landscape":["https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/u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href=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/category\/christian-freedom\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Christian freedom<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/category\/christian-freedom\/freedom-of-speech\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Freedom of Speech<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/category\/climate-globalism\/globalism-depopulation-id\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Globalism Depopulation ID<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/category\/uk-christian-constitution\/\" rel=\"category tag\">UK Christian Constitution<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"A group of peers and clerics was in Syria hours after Saturday&#8217;s bombing, Christian Today has reported. \u00a0(All our links open automatically in a new tab.) The delegation included Lord Dykes and was led by Baroness Cox. \u00a0The trip was planned some months ago, and went ahead despite the bombings. \u00a0Naturally, it attracted a chorus&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12394","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12394"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12394\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}