No Caption Necessary
All the newspapers appearing to be leading with something different this morning, but the Telegraph appears to have dug something up that at least has, reluctantly, made me think politics on this wonderful summer morning…
They’re running with a tale about how Gordon Brown has “insisted” that we are a Christian country after all. No kidding. Nice of them to remind us.
But I contend that just as most people in this country are conservative with a small ‘c’, so they are Christian with a small ‘c’.
In just two years we will be seeing the usual census shenanigans. That in itself will prove illuminating to see what the figures for non-religiousness are. By the way, if you’re looking at the power of language, don’t you think it’s funny how writing “non-religiousness” always makes it sound like “religiousness” is the default state of being. Like we were born with a religious identity that us atheists were forced to cast off. I digress…
Anyway, I predict that the census will show the number of atheists has risen. But, as usual, it will be dismissed as irrelevant. The only story the right-wing press will want to report will be the rise in members of the Islamic faith; doubtless due to immigration and that other fact we like to keep quiet: that they’re having more children than the rest of us. Poor Little England is sure to be overrun in the long term if she doesn’t get down to that procreatin’ business.
But there’s another point. So many Christians are not real Christians after all. Most notions of being a good Samaritan have gone right out the window these days. And as for going to church? Ha.
But significant amounts of these non-church-going believers will still pray. But even sometimes an atheist will utter an expletive or an incantation in the hope that some higher authority will rescue us from a nightmare. It’s just a force of habit. We know we’re talking to no one but ourselves, and that the “call” will remain forever unanswered. But small ‘c’ Christians will certainly pray as it’s the easy option. No need for church if you can pretend you have a hotline to God by your bedside cabinet.
That still means nothing. Religion demands more than such transient interest. One should not be allowed to call oneself a member of any religion if all you do is occasionally unpack your troubles at the feet of your God in the hope that he/she will listen.
Meanwhile, there are the unlucky ones who have children and want to send them to their local religious school. Of course, that requires sacrifice! Church attendance. Baptisms. Perhaps even a chat with the local vicar or priest.
All of it hypocrisy. All done to maintain a façade of religiousness that goes straight out the door once the child is firmly in situ.
Yet such people no doubt account for a vast chunk of the figures that say the majority of this country are Christians.
Makes me think. Why do we expect such saintliness from our politicians when deep down the bulk of the country maintain similar levels of personal double-standards?
The people get the politicians they deserve, don’t they?
The Futility Monster 