Ponderings

Tag: christianity

  • Psychopathic Gods

    On the 1st September, 1939 Nazi Germany invaded Poland, an egregious act of aggression which spurred Britain and France to declare War. German imperial expansion was rooted within the nineteenth century ambitions of the Kaisers. However the twentieth century incarnation was darker, sinister and murderous, demonstrating an arrogance on a psychopathic scale.

    Germany was humiliated and bankrupted after losing the First World War, a painful consequence of the punishing reparations. A broken populace was easily manipulated, and convinced by falsely charismatic politicians. Adolf Hitler offered fake promises, presenting himself as the nation’s saviour, but instead of a hopeful message of peace and reconciliation he set himself and his followers on a warpath of revenge.

    It is astonishing to reflect upon the fact that Germany, a country that was renowned all over the world for its culture, intellect and civilisation could have descended into such primitive barbarism. However devious individuals have always known how to harness the tools of psychological manipulation, and can even convince the most intelligent and rational people to suspend their reasoning and their morals.

    Chillingly, Hitler justified his pathological hatred of the “other” with allusions to scientific theory, a clear misrepresentation and distortion of biology, claiming,

    “Apes massacre all fringe elements as alien to their community. What is valid for monkeys must be all the more valid for humans”. This perverse reinterpretation of Darwinism ultimately divests kindness from human society, and simply renders it a cruel and stark struggle for survival.

    In his disturbing world view the weaker elements in society have to be sacrificed for the good of the clan, tribe or troop. Now, this sounds bleak, dehumanising and reductive. However during that time vulnerable and demoralised people were susceptible and the message must have resonated, albeit in a somewhat pessimistic, and fatalistic way.

    Tragically the good people of Germany had momentarily lost their faith in the heavenly saviour of mankind, and instead sought succour in this ungodly and sadistic version who did not help the weak, but scorned and eventually condemned them. In addition to this, Hitler had a future “purified” vision of Germany and Germans. He claimed that “all who are not of good race in this world are chaff”. This shocking belief in a supposed “master race” then inspired his genocidal rampage across Europe.

    The twentieth century spawned psychopathic gods. It was a century of cynicism, a period of history in which once cherished beliefs waned. People were less inclined to worship old gods. They sanctified their fellow mortals instead. Worshipping false idols was an unwitting disaster for the world. Totalitarianism filled the void in the absence of religion, and it was a phenomenon that ran across the political spectrum, from the far left to the far right.

    The priest and writer Richard Neuhaus reflected that if religion carves itself out of the public square then the square will “be filled by the agent left in control of the public square, the state. In this manner, a perverse notion of the disestablishment of religion leads to the establishment of the state as church”. In post-revolutionary Russia there were no qualms about destroying religion. Bishops were shot, crucified or condemned to a slow death in a prison camp. In 1926 monasteries were converted into labour camps, and monks were condemned to spend their remaining days on Earth toiling there.

    Man-made laws can be altered, but divine law is fixed and eternal. It is a supreme act of blasphemy to attach godlike attributes to flawed and fallible humans. The last world war was a vivid reminder of the evil that unfolded when people divested themselves of religion.

  • A Ceremony Of Riches

    Maundy Thursday is a significant date. It precedes Good Friday, the most solemn occasion in the Christian calendar. It commemorates Jesus washing His disciples feet in a simple act of devotion and humble piety. In many churches all over the world, similar rituals are repeated to honour Christ’s example.

    In this country, during the Middle Ages the Monarch washed the feet of his poorest subjects. It was the purest demonstration of obeisance, an integral part of noblesse oblige. In our modern and increasingly cynical secular society, such rituals are now sneered at, as it is fashionable to undermine the sacred and to diminish people with status and authority, particularly those with hereditary power.

    However this interpretation is naive and shallow. It must be emphasised that traditions matter because they are a fundamental part of who we are as people. Our shared history strengthens the bond that ties us to our ancestors, and this allows us to pass on something meaningful to those who are yet to be born.

    Unfortunately, as our society became wealthier, it moved further and further away from religion. Material concerns were the primary focus, matters of the soul were only secondary. The notion that the greatest treasure lies within the cultivation of the life of the spirit was lost, because the riches on earth provided so much joy, however temporary.

    The Reformation was a double edged sword, it brought a necessary and democratic change to our culture but ultimately it severed the most important connections. It weakened the spiritual power of the Monarch, and the most profound religious rites that they enacted were stripped of their meaning.

    Tudor and Stuart Monarchs did not inspire as much awe in the populace as their medieval forebears but they still managed to maintain a semblance of piety. The Cromwell regime divested itself of Monarchical influence altogether, along with its ceremonial trappings and perceived superstitions. After the Restoration many of the religious ceremonies were revived, including the Maundy Thursday rite of foot washing. The King’s subjects also believed that one touch from the King could cure them of their iniquities.

    In the wake of the Glorious Revolution, however, the dour Protestant King William revealed his disdain for “foolish old Popish ceremonies”, a shocking outburst reflecting his prejudices, and deep seated arrogance. When told of the power of the King’s touch he sneered, “Well, God give you better health and more sense!”. Since his accession, the Monarch’s only role on Maundy Thursday has been to distribute money to the poor. The sacred rites have disappeared.

    It is sad that these rites have been abandoned, and it is indeed telling that a practical, purposeful and material act has replaced the traditional ceremony. The Victorians, with all of their numerous faults and failings, still recognised the importance of noblesse oblige. The wealthiest members of society were often the greatest philanthropists.

    However there were still pockets of greed and selfishness which rapidly became a source of great shame. Disraeli bemoaned those with wealth who continued to ignore the plight of the poor and described this noticeable gap in society as, “between whom there is no intercourse and no sympathy…who are formed by a different breeding, are fed by a different food, are ordered by different manners, and are not governed by the same laws”. This was part of his infamous speech about the Kingdom, which far from being united, was in fact two nations separated by different values and priorities.

    The reason for disunity was the decline of the Established Church and its influence in society. During the Middle Ages the Kingdom was happy and stable. It was a rich tapestry of social classes held together by numerous threads of rights and responsibilities that maintained peace and helped to preserve people’s sense of wellbeing. As soon as the Church lost its power and influence, the poor lost their education, the land was usurped by the nobles and the Crown was blackmailed into giving up its rights of succession in favour of their own rulers. In turn, these rulers controlled the masses, with mixed success over the years.

    Disraeli saw a parallel with the medieval barons, as the country was under the yoke of a new kind of tyranny. The factory owner operating in an industrialised England was an entirely new innovation, but he was nonetheless imbued with the same avaricious intent. His only motive was profit, and he disregarded the moral values and traditions of the nation state. Disraeli’s social reforms were his attempt to revive the concept of noblesse oblige in a modern, capitalist society.

    Today should be the one day that we reflect upon the greatest gift that has been given to us, our spiritual inheritance as a Christian nation. It is worth more than gold, and we must never forget that.