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Limits to
tolerance
February 17, 2008 - Dale
It seems a bit hard to avoid commenting on Rowan Williams’ willy-willy**. The main issues have
been well and truly explored by a variety of commentators. You can see a round
up on
Ruth Gledhill's blog
Some of the more significant religious issues are probably too sensitive to
write about from here. But one which I think is relevant to those who live in
the western world is the issue of accommodation. For a long time now the church
in western countries has been under pressure not from followers of other
religions but from those with a secular religion.
The pressure has come in the form of not offending others. So churches and
Christians have been intimidated into virtual silence in case some group is
offended by what Christians believe or practise. Witness the ridiculous charades
at Christmas when Christian content has been removed not only from advertising
(maybe not a bad thing) but even from carol services. Those who are likely to be
offended by Christians celebrating Christmas are not followers of other
religions but the secularists.
Into this atmosphere of accommodation and privatising of Christianity has come
another religion with clear and forward moving agendas. I think it has taken
both the secularists and the Christians by surprise. Many modern Christians have
accepted the lie that Christianity is one among a number of valid and true
belief systems. But here is a major faith that does not go along with this
delusion. How are Christians to deal with another faith that puts itself forward
as clear cut and uncompromising about its essentials? Perhaps our learned
accommodation may not be the best way.
On the other hand having another religion on the block might help Christians
free themselves from their secular captivity.
Because the bigger issue is not about parallel judicial systems. It is about
religion. And about religion in public life. Perhaps part of the outcry against
the Archbishop’s speech has been the secularist fear of and opposition to
religion. The issue he raised was oversimplified. But he has flagged a crucial
issue – the rise of a committed new religion without sacred/secular boundaries.
It will be interesting to see whether this ongoing pressure from a new source
will expose the opposition from the secular forces as religious opposition, and
whether it might be the occasion for Christians to shake themselves free from
their oppression and stand against secularism in a different way. And work out
how to be distinctively Christian as well as commonly religious.
Dale
willy-willy**= a small twisting vortex of wind and dust caused
by rising hot air
Comments
Hear hear. I recently viewed the Secular
Society's website and was truly shocked. I previously assumed they were a bunch
of foolish people who simply want to be left to their own devices and not be
bothered by God or religion. Not so - they are actively and systematically out
to destroy Christianity in every-day life in all forms, and have succeeded
insidiously (so gradually you don't notice until it's right upon you) over the
years. In England they no longer celebrate Christmas in schools, but "winterval"
or "winter solstice". Kids are growing up with no idea of who Jesus is or how or
why the world came about, and don't care. The website's most popular item is a
downloadable "un-baptism certificate" to declare renunciation of your baptism
"done when you were too young to protest" for you to proudly display in your
front room. Books for sale include the usual old dross such as "The God
Delusion" but more alarmingly, dozens of self-help books on such topics as
raising children in a no-god environment, and raising money to fight
anti-religion court actions (they are currently suing the Scouting movement,
Lord Baden-Powell's century-plus old organisation to teach discipline, courtesy,
helpfulness, good manners and practical handicraft to young people, for
discriminating against atheists because the kids are required to pledge
allegiance to God and the Queen).
Well guess what? When you create a vacuum, spiritual or physical, something else
rushes in to fill the void, and exactly that is happening. As any ex-schoolkid
over the age of 25 will tell you, the highest pressure medium always gets to the
void first (again, pure physics mimicking spirituality!). So their agenda has
backfired; the unwanted but passive and kindly Christianity is being rapidly
replaced by something far more unwelcome and destructive.
It is time Christians everywhere stopped being so laissez-faire and began to
speak up for Jesus. Remember the Boy Scouts motto: "Be Prepared"!
Posted by David on Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 09:11:39
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