Christians best out of church
Thursday 07 February 2013
Printable
EmailReading Chris Birch's letter (M Star February 1) one gets the impression that he subscribes to an elaborate conspiracy theory, seeing individual Christians as eternally progressive people who are constrained from changing society by their churches.
That's a simplistic (ie "oversimplifying complex problems" ) notion.
My contention is that Christianity and its official churches are synonymous.
Hewlett Johnson's Marxism may well have arisen from his Christianity - although it is more likely that his Christianity was informed by his Marxism.
The point is that he remained as an executive member of a church that has been reactionary, conservative and intolerant throughout its history and remains so to this day.
He could only have been an effective Marxist outside of his church, where he was regarded as a pariah.
I disagree with Chris that "the whole question of Christianity … is far from simple."
Many Christians will be loyal to their churches, which will oppose any revolutionary change in society in the same way that they have opposed social progress for the last 2,000 years.
Jim Dymond
Aldershot
If you appreciated this article then please consider donating to the Morning Star's Fighting Fund to ensure we can keep developing your paper.
