The Sour Faces of Those with Faith

And another thing ...

We in the world of faith and all that would tell the world that we fear secularisation. Indeed, the likes of Lord Carey and the 'Ashamed' brigade would lead us to a place where we proclaim, from our rooftops, that we are not at all ashamed. 

Recently, the BBC did something remarkable. It set aside much valuable schedule time to the end of improving the lot of people with less than the typical British Christian in material terms, in terms of hope, and in terms of basic human survival. Aunty's employees gave of their time to add to the event of Comic Relief in its 25th year and to the end that they corporately raised shy of £80million. Marvellous; thank you; great! Is not Comic Relief as a venture something very much in the vein of the mandate of Christ to feed, clothe and protect?

It was with no small measure of sadness, then, that I read that after such a significant charitable act, helping many countless nameless children and families, that the BBC was caused to make an apology. To the dictators of the Third World? To the regular viewers of Eastenders?

No. The BBC had to issue an apology to God-botherers; Christians. 

The report said that 2,200 people complained at Rowan Atkinson's portrayal of the Archbishop. I watched it, and I thought it was hilarious. It was alarmingly close to the mark at times, but - and lest we forget - it was comedy, satire, humour, wit. One can only reasonably assume that the 2,200 people who complained were Christians. Christians without a sense of humour. Christians without a sense of joy. Christians who are afraid because their belief in God is somehow too fragile to contend with humour.

If ever a ball were to be kicked into one's own net - then this is the equivalent. Comic Relief made fun of almost everyone in what seemed to be a gentle, affectionate, harmless way. Yet it seems that Christians are so afraid that Rowan Atkinson joking that prayer doesn't work, a claim made in a programme of conspicuous comedy, comedy aimed at alleviating suffering, might just have done some harm to our cause. 

I doubt that Rowan Atkinson wearing red horns and speaking in demonic tongues could do more harm than the simple fact that 2,200 Christians complained. Ashamed of my faith? No. Ashamed of the people who would judge the efforts of others to raise money to save kids from death? Most definitely. 

There is a very very small gap between this and seeking to kill those who dare to satirise our Prophet of choice. A very small gap indeed. 

Wrong Message Wrong Time

You know my feelings on this stuff. I don't like or subscribe to the premis that Christians feel a shame from which they can distance themselves in this initiative. It is a campaign rooted in the negative and more than piggy-backs on the captivating 'not afraid' movement that went viral some time ago. 

However, today is Not Ashamed Day  - December 1st, at St. Paul's Cathedral. Were the campaign called 'Proud' I might have a sympathy, but I know no shame in my God, the Christ, or his Gospel. I am not persecuted and do not believe that any Christian in Britain is persecuted. We might be marginalised in some circumstances, but not persecuted. No. No. No.

Now it might just be me, but this wholly poorly timed. There is a community in Britain who live life knowing a shame that is projected upon them, and that is not of their making or choosing - or deserved. There are those in this country who know persecution in the real sense of the word, not in the sense that in encompassed by the slight infringements of the rights of choice that some Christians feel that they have had violated. I speak of the remarkable community of those who live with HIV. Today is World Aids Day.

I question the need to stand before a cathedral church with pamphlets and proclaim the great 'Woe is Me' when we as Christians should be laying aside our own needs and reaching out to those whose lives have been utterly changed by a disease. That I cannot wear a crucifix over my Tesco uniform will not cost me my sleep or my life. Aids would. Taking the 'shame' and 'persecution' platform on this day of all days seem like a colossal home goal. 

Were we ever ashamed? No. Should we care for those who life hangs in the balance day by day? Yes. 

Putting Words in My Mouth

Putting words in my mouth is never a sage passtime. However, a new campaign by some Christians has annoyed me somewhat.

They are Not Ashamed - of what, you ask? Of being Christians - that's what.

Marvellous - but when were any of us ever ashamed of our Gospel and our Christ? Not even for a second, Drs Carey and Nazir-Ali - not even for a second.

The aim is noble - to place Christianty at the heart of national life, but Jesus 'the only true hope'? I think that even Jesus would argue with that - as hope springs from the goodness that is an all people, even grumpy-nuts sitting here writing this.

And such a negative approach. 'Not Ashamed' is a little passive-aggressive for my tastes. A campaign to inject Christian morality into the life of our wonderful nation would surely have been just as potent under the banner 'Proud', or even 'Saved' or something equally cringeworthy. This assumes that Christians are ashamed and that we shouldn't be. I have never in my life met an ashamed Christian - just ones trying to do their bit, insufficiently in the eyes of the two senior clerics it seems. Actually, Christians are the least ashamed people I have met when touching on the subject of their faith. 

Now, some of the divisive outbursts by the former Primate to undermine his successor - now they are things that might be material where a little 'shame' labelling might not go amiss.