Archbishop of Canterbury: Paris attacks made me doubt God

Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, says the recent attacks in Paris made him “doubt the presence of God”.

In a chat with BBC, the prominent cleric expressed shock over the incidents which led to the deaths of 129 and injuries of 100.

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility and threatened to launch more attacks in the days ahead.

“I was out and as I was walking I was praying and saying: ‘God why – why is this happening? Where are you in all this?’ and then engaging and talking to God. Yes, I doubt,” he said.

“I was praying and saying: ‘God why – why is this happening? Where are you in all this?”

“Like everyone else – first shock and horror and then a profound sadness – and in my family’s case, that is added to because my wife and I lived in Paris for five years.

“It was one of the happiest places we have lived and to think of a place of such celebration of life seeing such suffering is utterly heart-breaking.”

Welby called for “strong actions” against ISIS and other groups which pose threat to the stability of the world.

“One of the most desperate aspects of our world today. Religion is so powerful in the way humans behave that it has always been a tool used by the wicked to twist people into doing what they want them to do,” he said.

“Terrorists and those who persecute and belittle people in the most terrible ways have to be stopped.

“The judgment of how best to stop them is a political and a military judgment – but there is no doubt that strong action has to be taken.

“Two injustices do not make justice. If we start randomly killing those who have not done wrong, that is not going to provide solutions. So governments have to be the means of justice.

“The Bible tells us that they are put there by God with the sword for justice, but they also have to lead us into a place where peace can be established.

“But just because someone believes something deeply wrong does not mean that they are right in some way because they put God in it. The perversion of faith is one of the most desperate aspects of our world today.”