Christian Comment with Gabriel Parlour of Stroud Quaker Meeting

A BASIC tenet of Quaker thought is that “there is that of God in every one”, and that the whole of life is sacramental.

So, how can one man kill another – doesn't that mean we are killing ourselves or part of ourselves as we share a humanity?

And what of war?

More specifically, the preparation for war.

Currently, the MoD is sending packs into schools teaching British values.

But what exactly are those?

Are they values of love, peace and non-violence (as Jesus and Gandhi taught) or are they that of retaliation?

There is a creeping tide of militarisation in our schools with a government strategy behind it (“The British Armed Forces: Learning Resource 2014).

In order to disseminate that information, £5 million has been allocated for a “Character Innovation Fund” with money for “youth work” – but aren't there other ways to help children learn important skills to develop their character and learn how to resolve conflict without violence?

We do not want to see violence becoming normalised.

Schools are legally required to assume a duty of care in “safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its pupils” but is that being done if both sides of the military debate are not put forward for discussion?

Our children now wear military uniforms on certain days in their schools.

Does this not bring to mind images of child soldiers?

And something that worries me greatly is how we, as a society, seem to have reached a point when to speak out against war is conflated with criticising those who go to war, making it hard to criticise war itself. Quakerism urges “Force may subdue, but love gains...” and in the words of the early Quaker William Penn: “Love is the hardest lesson in Christianity; but, for that reason, it should be our most care to learn it. Let us then try what love will do.”

We seem to have tried the way of war since the beginning of time, shouldn't we now try the lessons of Jesus and see what we can achieve with Love.