Christian philosophy

Press, 19 April 1980, Page 14

Christian philosophy

Sir, — Central to Christianity is that man can become reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. A true believer should, according to the Bible, show “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”: he should avoid “drunkenness, greed, sexual immorality, obscenity, theft, falsehood, rage, selfish ambition.” To which of these results of Christianity do its onponents object? Many who claim to be Christians clearly are not: Christ himself said he would reject many

who called him “Lord” because they were not committed to him. What better way to try to discredit 1 Christianity, than • to . pretend .to embrace it, then bring: it ", into disrepute by one’s actions. Christians, being imperfect,’ will imperfectly reflect Christ Those wishing to know him for themselves should read the Bible with a mind open, to the truths of God, rather than one bent on destructive criticism. — Yours, etc.,. M. VINEY.' April 17, 1980. Sir, —- W. H. Daly (April 15) suggests that Christianity is responsible for children being “taught to have respect and obedience for their parents and teachers.” May I point out that in . Nazi Germany, which was mostly Christian, there was a. high degree of obedience. Children obeyed without further inquiry and this is surely the main cause of the inevitable catastrophe. .“Official” Christianity has little to do .with Christ ;and his teach- ■ ings. Christ ?. did not Want ■ linqiiestioning/obedience (or faith), although many Christians; will interpret from the Bible that he did,.He wanted open-minded inquiry because this is the only way to understand reality. He once said of children: ‘The kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (emphasis on “belongs” and not ‘‘will belong”). So. why do “grown-ups” feel' they must dull the minds of the children they suppress and turn them into conditioned adults. —Yours, etc., S. RITCHIE. April 15, 1980.

Sir, —B. P. Lilburn (April 16) claims that “our cultural roots are Christian ...” Christianity is highly derivative, containing elements of Buddhist Mahayana, Hebrew, and Greek religions. There are analogies between Christian and Apollo worship with the emphasis on male love (Apollo loved Prince Hyacinth, Christ loved John), worship of a great man after his death, and belief in life after death. Christ himself spoke a Greek dialect: the Greek of the New Testament original. Evidence of our pre-Chris-tian cultural roots surrounds us in our gabled roofs (Greek), our “democracy”, debates, drama; in our language e.g., “encyclopaedia”, “gymnasium”, the days of the week; in our male love (Mitya in Dostoevsky’s “The Brothers Karamazov” says: “Is there beauty in Sodom? Believe me, that for the immense mass of mankind beauty is found in Sodom.. Did you know that secret?” Kinsey would agree). One must distinguish between the pseudo-Christianity of today and the teaching of the Gospels. — Yours, etc., PAUL MALING. April 17, 1980.

Sir, —I agree wholeheartedly with B. P. Lilburn (April 16) that we are stuck with a* Christian heritage whether I like it or not, but is that anything to be proud of? The most perfunctory reference to an unbiased history of the Christian religion would surely warrant a negative answer. The remainder of this correspondent’s letter appears to consist of confused meanderings around numerous nebulous points of conjecture until the martyrdom of bishops is reached. I would remind B. P. Lilburn that martyrdom is not necessarily confined to bishops, either present day or historically, as an investigation into the Bartholomew’s Day Massacre would amply illustrate.—Yours, etc., ARTHUR MAY. April 16, 1980.