Saturday, March 04, 2006
Pray - MC Hammer
Tony Blair is criticised for his latest “confession” – that he prayed!
Look, I have to admit that I’ve always been a big fan of Blair. Having said that, I do not agree with all the decisions he has made – but that should not be surprising! I understand that as a person in a leadership position, one has to make difficult decisions – decisions which will always not satisfy everyone. And as human, decisions which will in the course of time proved to be a wrong one.
Still, I am unhappy about the latest barrage of criticism - and as I set out to defend him now, let me say also that this is in no way an indication that I fully support the war in Iraq.
I believe in free speech. And everyone has their right to voice their opinion – no matter how stupid they (the opinions and the “opiners”!!!) are! I am just unhappy at how some people – having the right to do so – criticise without making any sense.
Let us look at the criticism:-
Reg Keys, whose son was killed in Iraq, said Mr Blair was "using God as a get-out for total strategic failure" and his comments were "abhorrent".
Read the article here.
Let us look at the context of Blair’s statements:-
Parkinson: "So you would pray to God when you make a decision (to go to war) like that?"
Blair: "Well, you know, I don't want to go into..."
Parkinson: "No, but, I mean, you've said that."
Blair: "Yeah."
Parkinson: "You've said that it would be informed..."
Blair: "Of course. You struggle with your own conscience about it because people's lives are affected, and it's one of these situations that I suppose very few people ever find themselves in, in doing, but in the end you do what you think is the right thing."
Read the transcript in full here and/or watch the video here.
Blair was pushed to answer whether he prayed. Was he in anyway trying to “use God as a get-out”? If you have watched the interview, you would see how Blair struggled to answer the question, how hard he was trying to leave God out of it – after all, he has always avoided these issues – unlike some other people who used God to further his political career.
It is open knowledge that Blair attends Church. So would it be any surprise to anyone that in tough decisions, he would among other things, pray over it? Should not the people take heart that the PM do struggle with his conscience and recognises that at the end of the day, he would have to give an account for his actions – not only to the electorate but to God?
The criticisms are simply ridiculous – and it seems to me just an opportunity for people to vent out their frustrations at Blair. Wouldn’t you agree that if Blair said he did not pray over the decision nor struggle with his conscience, the same critics would be the first to jump out and hit out at him?
It is so sad that his critics either misquote him now (hello? Are you all Brits? Do you all understand English??????? Read Blair’s statements before hitting out at him) or misquote the Bible.
Criticise the man if he has done wrong. But only then.
Look, I have to admit that I’ve always been a big fan of Blair. Having said that, I do not agree with all the decisions he has made – but that should not be surprising! I understand that as a person in a leadership position, one has to make difficult decisions – decisions which will always not satisfy everyone. And as human, decisions which will in the course of time proved to be a wrong one.
Still, I am unhappy about the latest barrage of criticism - and as I set out to defend him now, let me say also that this is in no way an indication that I fully support the war in Iraq.
I believe in free speech. And everyone has their right to voice their opinion – no matter how stupid they (the opinions and the “opiners”!!!) are! I am just unhappy at how some people – having the right to do so – criticise without making any sense.
Let us look at the criticism:-
Reg Keys, whose son was killed in Iraq, said Mr Blair was "using God as a get-out for total strategic failure" and his comments were "abhorrent".
Read the article here.
Let us look at the context of Blair’s statements:-
Parkinson: "So you would pray to God when you make a decision (to go to war) like that?"
Blair: "Well, you know, I don't want to go into..."
Parkinson: "No, but, I mean, you've said that."
Blair: "Yeah."
Parkinson: "You've said that it would be informed..."
Blair: "Of course. You struggle with your own conscience about it because people's lives are affected, and it's one of these situations that I suppose very few people ever find themselves in, in doing, but in the end you do what you think is the right thing."
Read the transcript in full here and/or watch the video here.
Blair was pushed to answer whether he prayed. Was he in anyway trying to “use God as a get-out”? If you have watched the interview, you would see how Blair struggled to answer the question, how hard he was trying to leave God out of it – after all, he has always avoided these issues – unlike some other people who used God to further his political career.
It is open knowledge that Blair attends Church. So would it be any surprise to anyone that in tough decisions, he would among other things, pray over it? Should not the people take heart that the PM do struggle with his conscience and recognises that at the end of the day, he would have to give an account for his actions – not only to the electorate but to God?
The criticisms are simply ridiculous – and it seems to me just an opportunity for people to vent out their frustrations at Blair. Wouldn’t you agree that if Blair said he did not pray over the decision nor struggle with his conscience, the same critics would be the first to jump out and hit out at him?
It is so sad that his critics either misquote him now (hello? Are you all Brits? Do you all understand English??????? Read Blair’s statements before hitting out at him) or misquote the Bible.
Criticise the man if he has done wrong. But only then.
# posted by imissw : 6:03:00 pm
