What a timely review by Alan Attwood.
(Beyond Belief 'Religion for Atheists' by Alain de Botton. - 403)
As Christians get ready to pause to celebrate Good Friday and the resurrection.
De Botton writes that there is not a word for one who has no belief but is quite involved in the religious concepts.
I guess a large slab of the population could likewise identify.
As they lap up the associated holidays, symbols and merchandise of religion year after year, but fail to look deeper.
This failure to look deeper is like a global coping mechanism.
Too much reality about death and life's seeming futility is a downer(!)
Loved Alan's metaphor about musical chairs. As most could relate to missing out on that crucial spot on the chair.
But is life really a lottery? That too has a ring of fatalism about it.
Authors such as De Botton prefer to conclude faith and religion as all baloney, (just not for me) rather than acknowledge the experience
of reaching a real sense of peace and belonging in the mystery of a loving God.
As interfaith dialogue gains pace, it may be revealed more of our population coming together across faiths.
More searching but indeed more harmony.
The allure of bleak negativity is for the academics.
Real life faith is for people with guts.
No comments:
Post a Comment