Fear for the Future

It seems that our world is faced with so many uncertainties. Recent and potential political changes not to mention constitutional uncertainties have been added into the mix of the resurgence of Russian power and the terror of Isis. And somewhere in all that mix are the threats from North Korea which seem more difficult to laugh off with every passing month.

But, for me, there is a feature of our modern Western European democracy which has caused me greater concern than even the aforementioned. For years I have worried about it and now – with everything else that is happening – I am becoming ever more fearful.

It is the fact that Western European democracies have by and large ditched religious faith. Now, those of you not of a faith oriented persuasion might sigh and shake your head and think that ‘he would say that’. But this is not me seeking to be an apologist for personal faith or Christian beliefs – at least, not this time!

It is a genuine concern that our society has embarked on an unprecedented experiment. With a few limited, short-lived and far from encouraging exceptions (the Soviet Union under Stalin, Pol Pot’s regime... any others? Nazi Germany is somewhat more complicated, although no more encouraging!) almost every human society has sought (or at least claimed) to live in recognition of a belief that there was a greater ‘Other’ (or others) to whom human beings and society had some kind of responsibility and accountability. Now I know that I am opening myself up to the usual, well-worn, tired and oft-repeated attacks on religion and how ‘all wars were started by religion’ (eh... no, not even most!) that religious societies have exploited, oppressed and abused (yes, this has been true) and so on.

My point is not to defend institutional religious expressions (which can be frankly ridiculous), the behaviour of societies that acknowledge the Divine (for sometimes that behaviour has been indefensible) or the hypocrisy of many who own religious faith (guilty as charged!).  Although that said, it is a little concerning that the dissuaders fail to mention (or worse, misrepresent!) the role of religion and faith in the history and development of art, literature, science, mathematics, education, social care, medicine, charitable endeavour and so on... funny that!

But, I digress!

My fear is really that we have embarked upon a huge experiment. In the words of Charles Murray (author of ‘The Bell Curve’ and with whom I do not agree on many things, but on this I do!) ‘.. [Europe is} trying a unique social experiment, running societies with an absence of God, and it [will] most likely not work’.

Well, we’ll see... but we may see way too late!

I recall an older and wiser (and very knowledgeable and deeply intelligent) person saying to me some 20 years ago... ‘it remains to be seen whether Western democracy can survive slipping its moorings from Christianity’.  

I am certainly not arguing for a return to Christendom. I am not convinced it was such a good idea in the first place! I am not here speaking out of a concern for the future of the church, but more out of a concern for the future of the liberal, democratic society to which Christianity gave birth.