Post-Christendom debate ignited by Cardinal welcomed
13/01/06
A debate ignited by controversial comments made by the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland has been welcomed by Christian leaders. Cardinal Keith O'Brien caused controversy by telling other faiths that they needed to realise they live in a Christian country. He also said Scotland should be "re-Christianised". Scotland's most senior Catholic, appointed cardinal in 2003, insisted the country's "core faith" was Christianity.
The remarks, to be broadcast in a radio interview this Sunday, were condemned as "obnoxious" by the Hindu Temple in Glasgow, and criticised by the Muslim Council of Britain for "showing impatience with other faiths". However, the leader of some of Scotland's evangelical Christians said he "welcomed the debate" raised by the 67-year-old cardinal. Mike Parker, general secretary of the Evangelical Alliance Scotland, said: "Talking too much about Jesus is not our biggest problem in Scotland; a lot of Christians keep it quiet. "A lot of our friends from other faiths don't keep it quiet. That's why I'm glad of the conversation."
Freddy Gray, deputy editor of the Catholic Herald newspaper, said he believed Catholics would be "delighted" by the Cardinal's remarks. He said: "Too often we compromise the Catholic Church for the sake of other faiths." The Cardinal's remarks for Christian leaders raise a number of important questions.
Jonathan Bartley, co-director of the religious thinktank Ekklesia, who has just finished the third in a series of books looking at the changing relationship between religion and culture said; "The Cardinal's comments raise all sorts of important questions. Many would see the historical influence of the Christian religion upon Scotland in negative as well as positive terms, and so the prospect of "re-Christianisation" will set alarm bells ringing for many. Others will point out that often the historical Christian influence through power and special privilege has been at odds with a Christian message of equality and justice" he continued. "Given the post-Christendom context in which we all now live, it is inadvisable to pursue the language and approaches of Christendom with the language of "re-Christianisation" implies."
Morag Mylne, of the Church of Scotland, said: "The Church and other faiths have an interest in, and a concern about, the way in which parts of society show a lack of understanding about the place of faith. We share that concern." The cardinal's remarks were defended by MSP Michael Matheson, the SNP's culture spokesman. He said: "A major part of Cardinal O'Brien's role is to spread Christianity. It is reasonable for the leader of Scotland's Catholics to call upon Christians within the country to take greater recognition of their heritage."
However, Dr Mona Siddiqui, head of the department of theology and religious studies at Glasgow University, suggested the Church faced a struggle in its battle to revitalise Christianity. She said: "The concern for many Christian churches, especially the Catholic Church, is how to make religion a vibrant, living reality in people's lives."
So, should we be thinking about a ‘re-Christianisation’ of the UK? Is such a thing even possible? Or should everyone just accept that we live in a post-Christian multi-faith society that might well see the collapse of the various Christian faiths in not too many generations?
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8 comments:
I'm voting for multi-faithed and everyone respecting one another, but then I also believe in fairies, the little people of the glen, and angels among us. ;-) I'm wondering if the people who are Christian, who want to remind others that theirs is a Christian nation (much like we have in the US) are thinking these non-Christian people have come to their nation as immigrants. I wonder if they stop to think that many of the non-Christians are their natural born countrymen, who have been converted, or through freedom of religious belief, just don't believe. It's fine to say a country was founded on a certain belief, but that doesn't mean it should continue in that vein. Beliefs change, countries change, and holding steadfast to the past doesn't prevent change.
V V said: Beliefs change, countries change, and holding steadfast to the past doesn't prevent change.
Indeed. When I was growing up (OK, when I was much younger than today) I was only aware of two faiths - Catholic & Protestant. What you were determined where you lived, what school you went to & whether the local bully would hit you or not. It was only in my 20's that I actually came into contact with Islam & later Buddhism - and later still Wicca...
Some of them, I thought, had some good ideas but I couldn't take any of them... seriously.
Historically the West has been Christian but that's certainly no longer the case in most European countries. Mostly they are Secular with large multi-ethnic, multi-cultural & multi-faith populations. To try & rebrand themselves as 'Christian' would cause far more trouble than it might ever solve.
Historically Scotland is probably Druidic, It was them foriegner interloper Iti's who brought the new fangled Christianity there & subdued the religious identity of the nation;-)
A bit like the Romans did in England.... when they killed off all the Druids on Angelsey.. Which left a 'power' vacuum for the Christians to exploit later...
Coming from a nation of rebels, castoffs, and the religiously persecuted, you would think our national consciousness would help us maintain an air of tolerance here. I think most of the South is suffering from severe amnesia, there appear to be growing pockets of it in other areas as well.
V V said: Coming from a nation of rebels, castoffs, and the religiously persecuted, you would think our national consciousness would help us maintain an air of tolerance here.
You would think so wouldn't you. Was it Santyana who said "Those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it"....? I guess he was right.
We are doomed to fall into a new "dark ages", where knowlege is scorned, and superstition reigns supreme. Creationism and Intellegent design are new "flat earth".
The fundementalists of all religions will not be satisfied till they drag us all into a hopeless abyss of poverty and violence, all in the name of whichever non existant diety they happen to follow.
it is so fucking depressing!
GWB: it is so fucking depressing!
In my darkest moments I think that in a stand-up fight between science & religion that religion will win because humanity is both stupid & irrational by its very nature.
Then I remember the struggle the founders of the Enlightenment must have had. All is not lost (by a long way). Just think of it as a 'target rich environment'. [grin]
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