Intruding on a Sacrament
This morning’s Guardian gave me plenty to think about:
- Justin Cartwright writes about the meaning of life or, rather, its meaninglessness. Religious belief he sees as somewhere between pathetic and pernicious. What strikes me? I think its the tone of the piece: it sounds like its pointing out the obvious to those who should know better. It’s another sign of the intellectual marginalisation of belief in the UK — for which people of faith must bear the responsibility. The measure of the shift underway (or almost over?) is that the non-theistic perspective of belief is no longer seen as belief at all but as background knowledge.
- Maybe that why I winced especially at the report on the collection of religious jokes being assembled to test proposed anti-hate speech legislation. I think the legislation is misguided but couldn’t help feeling profoundly saddened by the implicit view of my profession. Bring back Dave Allen!
2 comments August 13th, 2005