Deuce


It was recently stated to me that the government of this country were actively sidelining religion. My initial reaction was to scoff – but I suppose even whinging Christians ought to be considered worthy of further thought once in a while.

The Queen is the head of state, she is also the head of the Anglican church. Every full Anglican Bishop has an automatic right to sit in the House of Lords. Churches and other religious organisations are given charitable status. The Bible is incorporated into legal hearings.

As well as the official role the church plays to scaffold our democracy, its senior members are dragged out with irritating regularity by the media to hold forth their opinions about the latest moral outrage. Why is their opinion anymore valid than yours or mine?

This particular Christian pointed out that wasn’t what he meant. It never is, is it? Argue with success against a Christian and they move the goal posts. The church, apparently, doesn’t represent Christianity. Interesting point this. While I agree that the established churches no longer seem to be relevant and appear more interested in power and wealth than spiritual wellbeing, they do require some discipline to be members of. Christians who thumb their noses at the more traditional churches to start their own brand of religion end up creating their own set of rules and faith. Sure, each would claim that they had the purest and truest form of Christianity, but they can’t all be right.

I think what it boiled down to was perceived political correctness. Odd how many fundamentalists read the Daily Mail. I don’t suppose it’s odd they believe every word that’s printed therein – they do have a nasty habit of taking things as given truths without thought – if it suits them. I have no idea if it’s illegal to stand on the corner of your local high street and claim that homosexuality is evil – but at root, that was the problem: a perception that the government was stopping him abusing a section of society that he disapproved of because of his interpretation of the Bible. It was tempting to throw back quotes like love your neighbour and judge not etc. But what’s the point in playing verbal tennis when you just know the court markings will move as you send back an unplayable passing shot?

Typical of most people who hold faith dear, he was blaming an outside force for the failings of his own belief system.

I did seem to play the winning shot in the end. He made the suggestion that society was in such a mess because Christianity was in steep decline (due to the government) and if the whole country was to convert, we’d all be okay: there’d be no more child abuse, anti-social behaviour, drug taking etc. I (perhaps unfairly) suggested that Christianity only had itself to blame. After all, anything that promises the payoff of eternal life and fails to convince people to follow must be doing something wrong.

Game set and match – or so I thought.

This morning I received a book through the post: it details Christian faith outside of the church. I guess for now, it’s deuce. No doubt the discussion will start afresh when I return his book.