Hello
Alex. Thank you for your analysis of the current (and future)
situations and for your honesty about the 'rerconciliation industry' -
my words. This industry has been established by the government, and has
bought many vulnerable people into it and paid them well.
I work with the innocent victims of terrorism, and have sought to promote true reconciliation in Northern Ireland. But what have I found? Just this: the reconciliation that I was promoting, and still do, is not what the government, the funding bodies and other 'do-gooders' want; in fact, it is the very opposite of that fiasco that Europe funds with its millions of Euros. The EU will fund 'pretend' reconciliation because that shows that it is doing something to improve things in Northern Ireland. It has a 'tick-box' mentality, meaning that if it can show that it has funded so many 'reconciliation events,' it is contributing to our best interests. The fact is that our country has not made much progress in the past almost two decades, despite superficial appearances to the contrary.
For example, the EU will fund tea and scones parties, and day outings; it will keep inexperienced people in post and support those who support the government policies of member states. The EU, through the SEUPB, does not seem to be remotely interested in promoting genuine peace and reconciliation. Even when organisations have been funded to do this crucial work, it was being manipulated by SEUPB people by insisting that a percentage of project participants had to be from the 'other' side. Social engineering is a big part of the modus operandi of the EU and almost a condition of receiving its funding, in my experience - a point that I raised with them and objected to on numerous occasions.
The 'reconciliation industry' has promoted useless initiatives (because they keep people on the ground actively involved in paper pushing, following protocols, adhering to silly procurement policies, keeping all kinds of irrelevant records, and ensuring that the EU gets the credit for whatever has been done. It is ego-stroking activity that the EU supports, not real reconciliation work.
Like you, Alex, I have no wish or desire to be reconcilied to the men and the organisation that murdered my young brother in 1977, but with this difference - certain necessary conditions must be met before I will be reconciled to anyone. The IRA, including those who were not actively involved in that atrocity for my family (the commanders, 2IC's, brigadiers,etc - many of whom probably now sit in Stormont), will have to acknowledge that it was totally indefensible and unjustifiable for them to murder my policeman brother. They must admit to this, and make a specific confession - a general confession is useless - telling everything they know about that terrorist attack (who did what, when, how, where and why). Without this, there will be no reconciliation between us. And any attempted justification or re-writing of the facts or cover-up, either by them of by the HET, will merely demonstrate the hypocrisy and insincerity of their words. As David Ervine once famously said, the IRA are 'corporate liars,' which makes anything they say suspect from the outset.
They must repent of what they did; which means that they must come to see it and be convinced that they did was totally unacceptable behaviour as a means of fulfilling political goals. They must say this and show it. They must with profound grief for and hatred of what they did, turn away from it and turn to God in Christ Who alone can forgive them. Without true and genuine repentance there is no possibiity of reconciliation between us. The IRA is coin vinced of the rightnes of its campaign of terror, so getting them to admit of wrongdoing and repent of its sins and crime is a dead duck. Which is another way of saying that IRA/SF is not remotely interested in reconciliation in Northern Ireland, so anyone who is taken in by their sugared words is a bigger fool that even he or she is prepared to accept.
These evil-doers must make a commitment not to return to such practice in the pursuit of their political goals and aspirations. Here they have a moral responsibility to inform on those within their camp who are still committed to and involved in terrorist violence. They must do all in their power to forsake their past living and behaviours, both in practice and intellectually, and thus demonstrate that they have really changed. Without this, there will be no reconciliation between us. I'll not hold my breathe for this to happen.
This implies that once this admission, etc has been made and received, those actively involved and their apologists must be barred from holding poublic office at any level. This was done successfully in Colombia under Press. Uribes.
The change I'm looking for goes well beyond a cessation of terrorist activity, though it includes that. I want to see a change of heart, a change of mind and of thinking about the things they did, that they were totally wrong and without defense or justification, a change that will lead to fundamental change in direction. Unless the change goes right to the root of the problem, it is ephemeral and will not last. I am looking for lasting change because everything short of that will lead us back into what we do not want - more terrorism.
The 'do-gooders' will not buy into this because it challenges and undermines everything they have thought and done in the past, and that many are still doing. They are big into healing deep wounds lightly, superficially. They do not seem to be interested in the total health of the entire body of people. They want to be well-thought of as 'peace-makers,' as Adams & Co. now are. They want to secure the plaudits of men and nations, and receive whatever honours of state that can be heaped upon them. This self-serving 'industry' is nauseating in the extreme, but it always attracts those who are in it for themselves.
Indeed, probably the best reconciliation work is done away from the public gaze and away from the cameras; but this is not recognised because the EU gets no credit for it.
Finally, I do not believe that Northern Ireland's difficulties can be resolved by writing God out of the equation. Let's admit it - all human governments are, by definition and practice, anti-God in their orientation, so there is no hope to be expected from that quarter. The sooner our nation gets back to God in Christ, the sooner will we see a return to better days for us all.
And let us not depend on the churches to help in this regard either - their past record is not impressive. No. Our people must do before God what I have stated the IRA must do at a political level, and seek their reconciliation first with God and then with each other. Only when that has been done, will Northern Ireland know the blessing of God once again.
Neither atheism nor humanism has anything worthwhile to offer our beleaguered land and people. The sooner we realise that, the better.
I work with the innocent victims of terrorism, and have sought to promote true reconciliation in Northern Ireland. But what have I found? Just this: the reconciliation that I was promoting, and still do, is not what the government, the funding bodies and other 'do-gooders' want; in fact, it is the very opposite of that fiasco that Europe funds with its millions of Euros. The EU will fund 'pretend' reconciliation because that shows that it is doing something to improve things in Northern Ireland. It has a 'tick-box' mentality, meaning that if it can show that it has funded so many 'reconciliation events,' it is contributing to our best interests. The fact is that our country has not made much progress in the past almost two decades, despite superficial appearances to the contrary.
For example, the EU will fund tea and scones parties, and day outings; it will keep inexperienced people in post and support those who support the government policies of member states. The EU, through the SEUPB, does not seem to be remotely interested in promoting genuine peace and reconciliation. Even when organisations have been funded to do this crucial work, it was being manipulated by SEUPB people by insisting that a percentage of project participants had to be from the 'other' side. Social engineering is a big part of the modus operandi of the EU and almost a condition of receiving its funding, in my experience - a point that I raised with them and objected to on numerous occasions.
The 'reconciliation industry' has promoted useless initiatives (because they keep people on the ground actively involved in paper pushing, following protocols, adhering to silly procurement policies, keeping all kinds of irrelevant records, and ensuring that the EU gets the credit for whatever has been done. It is ego-stroking activity that the EU supports, not real reconciliation work.
Like you, Alex, I have no wish or desire to be reconcilied to the men and the organisation that murdered my young brother in 1977, but with this difference - certain necessary conditions must be met before I will be reconciled to anyone. The IRA, including those who were not actively involved in that atrocity for my family (the commanders, 2IC's, brigadiers,etc - many of whom probably now sit in Stormont), will have to acknowledge that it was totally indefensible and unjustifiable for them to murder my policeman brother. They must admit to this, and make a specific confession - a general confession is useless - telling everything they know about that terrorist attack (who did what, when, how, where and why). Without this, there will be no reconciliation between us. And any attempted justification or re-writing of the facts or cover-up, either by them of by the HET, will merely demonstrate the hypocrisy and insincerity of their words. As David Ervine once famously said, the IRA are 'corporate liars,' which makes anything they say suspect from the outset.
They must repent of what they did; which means that they must come to see it and be convinced that they did was totally unacceptable behaviour as a means of fulfilling political goals. They must say this and show it. They must with profound grief for and hatred of what they did, turn away from it and turn to God in Christ Who alone can forgive them. Without true and genuine repentance there is no possibiity of reconciliation between us. The IRA is coin vinced of the rightnes of its campaign of terror, so getting them to admit of wrongdoing and repent of its sins and crime is a dead duck. Which is another way of saying that IRA/SF is not remotely interested in reconciliation in Northern Ireland, so anyone who is taken in by their sugared words is a bigger fool that even he or she is prepared to accept.
These evil-doers must make a commitment not to return to such practice in the pursuit of their political goals and aspirations. Here they have a moral responsibility to inform on those within their camp who are still committed to and involved in terrorist violence. They must do all in their power to forsake their past living and behaviours, both in practice and intellectually, and thus demonstrate that they have really changed. Without this, there will be no reconciliation between us. I'll not hold my breathe for this to happen.
This implies that once this admission, etc has been made and received, those actively involved and their apologists must be barred from holding poublic office at any level. This was done successfully in Colombia under Press. Uribes.
The change I'm looking for goes well beyond a cessation of terrorist activity, though it includes that. I want to see a change of heart, a change of mind and of thinking about the things they did, that they were totally wrong and without defense or justification, a change that will lead to fundamental change in direction. Unless the change goes right to the root of the problem, it is ephemeral and will not last. I am looking for lasting change because everything short of that will lead us back into what we do not want - more terrorism.
The 'do-gooders' will not buy into this because it challenges and undermines everything they have thought and done in the past, and that many are still doing. They are big into healing deep wounds lightly, superficially. They do not seem to be interested in the total health of the entire body of people. They want to be well-thought of as 'peace-makers,' as Adams & Co. now are. They want to secure the plaudits of men and nations, and receive whatever honours of state that can be heaped upon them. This self-serving 'industry' is nauseating in the extreme, but it always attracts those who are in it for themselves.
Indeed, probably the best reconciliation work is done away from the public gaze and away from the cameras; but this is not recognised because the EU gets no credit for it.
Finally, I do not believe that Northern Ireland's difficulties can be resolved by writing God out of the equation. Let's admit it - all human governments are, by definition and practice, anti-God in their orientation, so there is no hope to be expected from that quarter. The sooner our nation gets back to God in Christ, the sooner will we see a return to better days for us all.
And let us not depend on the churches to help in this regard either - their past record is not impressive. No. Our people must do before God what I have stated the IRA must do at a political level, and seek their reconciliation first with God and then with each other. Only when that has been done, will Northern Ireland know the blessing of God once again.
Neither atheism nor humanism has anything worthwhile to offer our beleaguered land and people. The sooner we realise that, the better.
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