“May terrorism soon vanish from this earth,” the Rev. R. Randy Day said in a statement in response to the July 7 early morning bombing of underground rail cars and buses in London.

He likened terrorists to cowards because they attack innocent people going about their business.

Rev. Day is chief executive of the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church, the international mission agency of the denomination.

“The directors and staff of the General Board of Global Ministries join me in expressing our profound sadness and our deepest concern for the British people,” he said in a letter to the Rev. David Deeks, head of The Methodist Church of Britain.

Several bombs went off in the underground rail system of downtown London and at least one bus was blown up in what was seen as a terrorist action geared to the meeting of heads of the G-8 (richest) nations in Gleneagles, Scotland.

The exact number of dead and injured was not immediately known. “Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured and the families of the people killed,” Day said in his statement.

Additional articles regarding the attacks in London: - Methodist leaders voice support for London, decry attacks - World church leaders condemn London attacks as barbaric - British Methodists help those caught up in London bombings - Methodist Bishop in Argentina Rejects Violence in Wake of London Bombings - A compilation of Statements from Religious Leaders - British Methodist Statement

“Let us all pray that terrorism will soon vanish from this earth, replaced by universal peace, expanding justice, and progress toward freedom,” he said in his letter to Rev. Deeks.

The London incidents were not expected to cancel or shorten the G-8 meeting in Scotland, a meeting where the richest nations are due to consider ways to provide debt relief and greater assistance to the poorest ones.

Day said that he hopes the bombings would not deter the G-8 meeting from the business of considering the needs of the poor nations.

The full text of Day’s statement follows:

Statement of the Rev. R. Randy Day on London Bombings:
July 7, 2005

We are saddened and dismayed by the attacks on London subways and buses this morning, apparent acts of terrorism related to the meeting of the G-8 nations in Scotland. Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured and the families of the people killed.

I have conveyed the sympathy and concern of the General Board of Global Ministries to the Rev. David Deeks, general secretary of the Methodist Church of Britain. In my letter I recalled the importance of the expressions of support that came to the board from around the world at the time of the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York and Washington, DC.

Terrorists are cowards in that they attack the most vulnerable. In the London it was men and women, young and old, on the way to work on a Thursday morning. Such action is senseless and cannot foster any cause.

I hope that the representatives of the G-8 (richest) nations, meeting at the time of the attacks, will not be diverted from the important work of providing assistance for the poorest nations.

I pray, as I expressed to Rev. Deeks, that terrorism will soon vanish from this earth, replaced by universal peace, expanding justice, and progress toward freedom.

	See Also... Topic: Christian love |  Emergencies |  Human rights |  International affairs |  Prayers |  War |  Statements |  Geographic Region: United Kingdom |  Source: GBGM Press Releases
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Date posted: Jul 07, 2005