As We Witness A Holocaust of Historic Proportions, Where Are The Pro-Life Voices?

Just one of multitudes of child casualties of air raids in Syria

Sad to say, the unbelievable tragedy of the widening war in Syria has yet to result in widespread outrage. It's all too easy for people of faith and goodwill around the world to look the other way while untold numbers of innocent people are being permanently maimed, horribly burned and buried alive by drone strikes and bombing every day.

Less than a century ago the world largely turned away when millions of Jews and other minorities were similarly exterminated and forced to flee as refugees. Through seeking the military solution of World War II, over 50 million lives were sacrificed worldwide.

Today's increased military response to the Syrian crisis has added immeasurably to the suffering. Resorting to bombs still remains the primary problem, not the solution, and the least we can do is to promote humanitarian efforts toward peacemaking and toward a radical increase in material aid to the millions of refugees affected.

So what if each of us at least matched the amount of our tax money currently going for military purposes with contributions for emergency relief aid? What if we temporarily diverted our giving through our local congregations until they agreed to invest at least 10% of their budgets toward this emergency?

Here are just a few of the reputable agencies working in the region that are in desperate need of increased funding, according to Myriam Azis, former UNHCR Senior Resettlement Assistant for Syrian Refugees and currently a student at EMU's Center For Justice and Peacebuilding:

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Oxfam America

Mercy Corps

Mennonite Central Committee

I welcome your comments and suggestions.