Welcome to Good Friday, in which Christians worldwide gather in their places of worship to celebrate the torture and killing of an ancient Jewish Rabbi.
(Why that’s apparently “good” is anyone’s guess).
This year they seem to be in a bit of a lather though, with a number of ministers using the platform to take pot-shots at those pesky atheists.
Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen declared Atheism to be a form of idolatry (to what, I wonder?) and made this astonishingly stupid statement:
“[Atheism is] about our determination as human beings to have our own way, to make our own rules, to live our own lives, unfettered by the rule of God and the right of God to rule over us.”
… which is so patently ridiculous it’s not even wrong.
The statement can’t even claim to possess meaning unless Jensen can demonstrate that this “God” he’s talking about actually exists.
Then he said:
“… we are not dealing here with cool philosophy up against faith without a brain.”
Actually, I think we are. But that’s not even the point.
Atheism is no threat to anyone’s faith. I’ve never met an atheist who wants to ban religion or force everyone to worship Saint Dawkins.
But atheism is a direct threat to the assumed authority of the clergy and, by extension, a huge threat to the political and financial power of the church.
I suspect that might be Jensen’s real concern.
