Monday 25 February 2008

Why religion, and law and order are a problem - introducing the politics of Easter

Great quote in the readings for Lent:

... Jesus was not brought down by atheism and anarchy. He was brought down by law and order allied with religion which is always a deadly mix. Beware those who claim to know the mind of God and who are prepared to use force if necessary to make others conform. Beware those who cannot tell God's will from their own. Temple police are always a bad sign. When chaplains start wearing guns and hanging out at the sheriff's office, watch out. Someone is about to have no king but Caesar. (Barbara Brown Taylor "Truth to Tell" Reading 16 in Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter, pp.89-90)

The politics of Easter are just as confronting, and nearly as frequently bypassed by "religious" people as are those of Christmas. More to come.

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