E-Paper
UK Archbishop shares ‘doubts’ over God after Paris attacks
The Archbishop of Canterbury, one of Britain’s senior-most clergymen, has spoken of his “doubts” over the presence of God after the terror attacks in Paris that occurred two weeks ago.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, one of Britain’s senior-most clergymen, has spoken of his “doubts” over the presence of God after the terror attacks in Paris that occurred two weeks ago.
Justin Welby told the BBC’s ‘Songs Of Praise’ show that the killings had put a “chink in his armour”.
“Saturday morning, I was out and as I was walking I was praying and saying,’God, why - why is this happening? Where are you in all this?’ and then engaging and talking to God. Yes, I doubt,” the archbishop said.
He said the shock he felt over the incident was exacerbated “because my wife and I lived in Paris for five years.”
“It was one of the happiest places we have lived and to think of a place of such celebration of life seeing such suffering is utterly heart-breaking,” he said referring to the November 13 terror attacks carried out by the militant Islamic State group that killed 129 people.
Read:Terror strikes Paris: 129 killed as France declares emergency
A bombing campaign against IS, particularly by the French airforce, was launched in Syria shortly after the attack, but the archbishop warned against a potentially damaging instant reaction.
“Two injustices do not make justice. If we start randomly killing those who have not done wrong, that is not going to provide solutions. So governments have to be the means of justice,” he said.
British Prime Minister David Cameron will meet French President Francois Hollande in Paris on Monday to discuss the fight against terror.
They will discuss how to cooperate on counter-terrorism and in the fight against IS in Syria and Iraq.
