Ignoring spiritual side
MR Martin-Royle appears to be of nervous disposition so let me reassure him. There will not be a phalanx of Christians attempting to stone him to death for working on a Sunday. The Old Testament is an ancient tome written for a different time and place. That is not to say that we should ignore it because it is a unique piece of history which describes many changes to society over time. It is also an excellent basis for moral debate. Unfortunately, like the Qu’ran, it suffers from being manipulated and treated literally by some who do so for their own personal reasons. Mr Martin-Royle suggests that we should ignore it all because some of it is no longer factually relevant. There are many laws on statute which are now irrelevant and slowly being repealed. Does this mean that I should ignore all laws?
Cave drawings show us that early humans had a spiritual side to them and it is arguably this which separates man from animal. Druids, once plentiful in Britain, now number a few hundred. The Romans initially introduced us to Christianity.
Whether or not Britain is still a Christian nation is open to debate. In the 1950s most people would have claimed to be nominally C of E even if they never attended a church. As a teenager in the 60’s I was part of the generation who rebelled against the cosy hypocrisies of the churches and stopped attending. Unfortunately we threw the baby out with the bathwater. A few embraced mysticism whilst others studied Atheism, Humanism and Existentialism (they all get their occasional slot on Thought for the Day). The majority, however, ignored the spiritual side of human behaviour and slumped into unquestioning agnosticism. We sleepwalked into 1980’s greed driven reforms.
It used to be that Sunday was a day of rest. Only those who were employed as nurses, policemen, firemen etc and who served the vulnerable in society were expected to work. Everyone else recuperated and spent time with friends and family. Not necessarily exciting but part of the bedrock of society. Now we can visit Tesco, DFS and B&Q and consume products and services that are all too often bought on credit. Is this really a better way of life?
FRANK WOOD
Collington Lane East
Bexhill
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Monday 28 May 2012
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