"O Ye of All Faiths"

Former Archbishop, Lord Carey

Normally there is much consideration into an entry which I write publish. Yesterday's news, of which there are many dramatic events taking place in the world, the details of news gathering are what might be called "mediocre" at best. The one particular story, of prayers in a council meeting and an upheld verdict in the High Court, would perhaps wash-over as a less than country shock of immense proportions. After all, though we may have a national faith, the UK is for all its purposes secular and tolerant of a variety of faiths. It seems not to be so. The centre-right press has got on its "high-horse", to use one journalist's quote I was watching, and has claimed Christianity is being attacked to an extent which it is being threatened in being pushed to one side. It is not the business to marginalise Christianity on this blog, with the Queen of this country being Head and 'Defender' of the faith, and our politicians swearing to do their duty by Her Majesty in their office, thus meaning to be part of the CofE also. However, if one witnesses the homophobic hysteria in countries such as Uganda and the powerful rhetoric of orthodox Evangelicals in the US now realising a possibility of reaching the most central position in the world, this country is to at a greater risk of marginalising its own people if some of its hysterics do not stop here.

The leading story yesterday (after the monotony of dull football) was that of former Bideford councillor, Clive Bone, who as an atheist felt that the prayers of members at that council made the practise like 'private clubs' and 'embarrassed' when he did not take part. Under Local Government Act 1972, Mr. Bone succeeded in his application to outlaw prayers as an official part of the agenda in the council from now on. Whilst on the one hand it has been hailed as a triumph for democracy and freedom from religion, others (like Communities Secretary Eric Pickles) claim that it removes the heritage of the nation and taking out a valuable practise of the meetings. Now doesn't that story just beat the socks off the plight in Syria and Russian democracy in crisis? Another story like this was that of the Christian hotel owners who refused a gay couple in sharing the same bedroom because of their orientation and state of unmarred sitaution had also lost them their appeal. Before any strong conclusions are drawn, it is silly that an agenda of 'Prayers' are set aside before the matters which are of importance to an otherwise varied society. I do not believe that on this occasion Divine Intervention is not going to save people from financial difficulties and the odd pothole on the road, unless it's just simply "God's way". Now whilst this seems a firm criticism of the faith, which in yesterday's ruling did NOT specefically target Christianity, but rather out of the coincidence Fleet Street assumed this anyway, but Lord Carey's, former Archbishop of Canterbury, argument of shaping the facets of "Britsih life" in the arts, democracy and literature do seem to be very much evident. Therefore, if the councils are democratic, then that must in part be owed to the strength of faith alone and, even if a person was to be a secularist, it is better to have faith in something than nothing at all. I do not claim to be an expert in this field and have never read (and hope not to read too often) arguments from sides of the pious and atheists, but the UK could be dramatically affected by political and social arguments which encourage too much of one besides the other that quite frankly is just never going to satisfy every member of the population. What When Lord Carey suggests though in that when this nation has been shaped by "Christian principles for centuries", it is not alone by the birth of Christ and man living harmoniously with one another, but by blood, war and bitter division as we see today in the fight for faith, which I shall explain next.

An artistic interpretation of the Thirty Years War

To start off with a quote with the founder who paved the way in the new perspective humans saw the world, Rousseau, once said: "Everything is good when it leaves the Creator's hands; everything degenerates in the hands of man." And degenerate it did. You only have to look at people like Hegel (see "The Geist and Will") who justified the purpose of war, but believed that time will eventually stop as we make our way back to times before the banishment from Eden. It is no surprise that this particular war at the moment, one of attrition that might be  added, consequentially that a parallel may be drawn from the Protestant v Protestant in the English Civil War and later that which saw the downfall of James II, but now the case is more of Christian v everybody else. The outspoken atheist, Richard Dawkins, claims that Natural Selection has led to a necessity to introduce religion in order to maintain a stability of some sorts. However, the price which has been paid instead to maintain that civilisation came through great European battles such as the Thirty Years War and the Massacre of St. Bartholomew's seems too great to the vanity which others now are still dissatisfied and campaign vocally against the existence of homosexuality, secularism and the bizarre American Priest who declared when Rapture would take place - twice - and was wrong on both counts. Man indeed is short of temperament and when it comes to religion, instead of private and respectful beliefs which are not thrust in the faces of non-believers, a significant minority harp on about the secular groups having a voice, so why can't they? Note: We can hear you loud and clear now, ladies and gentlemen...

Peter Hitchens

Peter Hitchens, who some of you may be strongly divided in the beliefs of this distinctive of half of the deceased Christopher Hitchens, can be regarded with a strong pessimism on the existence of Christianity. Only recently he can be quoted a saying in his weekly Mail on Sunday column about how he blamed Dawkins and his "allies" for the increase of dishonesty among people in society. Not only that he adds that the world itself is a "meaningless accident" in which we live in. As I'm sure Christians have never lied...Though now this may be a critical judgement of religion in the public office, Rousseau's words have never rang more true and when religious rhetoric also blends in with politics of the day, that can only be a fatal combination. What if in the US the radical republicans were to enter the White House? Expel all those not Christian? Ban all languages except English? Tell people "No you can't have an abortion" or "No you can't be gay and get married"? I am hopeful that this state of affairs will not enter the UK domain in a decade's time and with church becoming just more than a branch of the state, but becoming the state. If these fruitless battles and stirring reports on the news, preaching on either sides to join in this insoluble war, of which no good will surely come. Now that's news in your column, Mr. Hitchens!

I have no wish to dance to the tune of Communist idealists, but I would much rather see a seperation of these two bodies before rhetoric becomes hopelessly entangeld. I hope this does not become a reality, for as I said that chruch has much to be praised for the construction of our social fabric, but that very war of attrition with squabbling councils and abrasive politics could just as well become another bloodthirsty war, which until recently, lies dormant and ready to erupt at man's command...