“First of all, it is our belief that the application of the principles of Jesus Christ to economic conditions would mean the end of the capitalist system.” 

This quote comes from the 1930 meeting of the Toronto Conference of the United Church of Canada.  They were not Bolsheviks: they were moral theologians who understood that business operates for private gain and not the common good.

The statistics are grim: 7,000 killed since the uprising began last year, 400 children killed by security forces, along with tens of thousands imprisoned by the al-Assad regime.  The army has turned tanks and guns on the civilian population, and executed soldiers unwilling to do so.  It might be possible to classify this as a civil war, except that the sides are so decidedly unequal.  The best description remains ‘slaughter.’

Back in the 80’s, we eager young seminarians were required to take a class in social action: how to plan and implement a protest, how alter public opinion, and generally make change.  Good stuff like how to manipulate the media and the best way to get arrested were also on the curriculum.  The goal was to get out there and get labelled an elemento subversivo.