Marginalisation

[poliphilo]

Religion is in danger of being marginalised, said the Pope- and so it is. But it's not something that's being done to it by a mean cruel world. He and his fellow theocrats are nobody's victims.  There's an audience out there for good news, bad news, any kind of news you happen to have and if the churches aren't getting their story across it's either because it's not a very good story in the first place or because they're not telling it right. 

The Pope delivered  his complaint in Westminster Hall in front of an audience including four prime ministers. Such marginalisation couldn't have happened in a godlier age. Back then- say a hundred and fifty years ago, when people really cared about religious matters-  he'd have been sitting not in person in Westminster Hall-  but in effigy on a bonfire outside.

Comments

[wolfshift.livejournal.com]

Even in the US, "Christianity is under attack", solar_diablo's observations of Christianity's massive, almost mediaeval privilege somehow notwithstanding. I expect it all goes back to sayings attributed to Jesus that are roughly, "Blessed are you who are persecuted for being Christians". (Also, some people just like to claim the high ground of being persecuted.) Therefore, if they're not being persecuted, or not a last, desperate hold-out of Faith in a godless pagan world, they're not doing their job. The True Believers are always the ones huddled in their tiny bunker.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It would be nice, though, if they just embraced their martyrdom and didn't whine about it. Did the early Christians go into the arena snivelling that it wasn't fair? I dont think so.

[wolfshift.livejournal.com]

I suppose this is what one gets when one combines martyrdom with the culture of entitlement.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Christianity has been spoiled by success.