THE Bishop of Blackburn, the Right Rev Alan Chesters, spoke of his regret that conflict had broken out (LET, March 20).

However I was deeply shocked by his "earnest prayer that the military action will be targeted accurately against the perpetrators of oppression and terrorism."

A bishop praying to God for accurate bombing fills me with horror. It is, in effect, a prayer for the deaths, murder and maiming of the conscripts of the Iraq army, government officials and members of command structures.

His inferred Christian concern for civilians is charitable but falls far short of his Master's commandments, I might venture. It is worth remembering that 'smart bombing' is yet another conscience-salving, less-than-accurate description of devices of death and devastation.

It further perturbs that a man of Bishop Chester's standing merely parrots the blatant and constant propaganda of Tony Blair and the George Bush administration, which has a vastly-documented vested interest in controlling Middle East oil supplies at seemingly any financial, environmental and human cost.

I merely pray that an influential, highly visible member of our multi-faith community such as Bishop Chesters would be prepared to look beyond the current media distortions surrounding the invasion of Iraq. It lessens us all when he appears, in print at least, to be yet another mouthpiece for the State when he should perhaps be a mouthpiece for the person he ultimately supposedly represents and serves: namely, Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace.

IAN HODGSON, Eldon Road, Blackburn.