Richard Dawkins has done us all a service. His survey of UK Christians and their religious and social attitudes reminds us of the close and sometimes complex relationship of religion and culture. It shows the very wide range of beliefs, experiences, moral codes and sense of belonging of those who identified themselves as Christian in the 2011 census. It would be fascinating to study closely the correlation between these aspects in their responses. At first sight it is quite hard to find any.

The survey reminds us of two things.

First, religion and culture are very closely linked, sometimes almost impossible to separate. This has always been clear with other faiths represented in the UK. Hinduism, for example, is ‘a way of life’ more than a ‘faith’. A similar survey among those who identified with other faiths, or with none, would come out with similar findings. It is true of Christianity as well – think of Christmas. Or Northern Ireland. Or the centuries in which Christianity has been embedded in the UK’s customs, institutions and laws.

This close connection is often linked to our sense of identity, which is why we like to hold on to traditions, even when they do not exactly match our current beliefs about God or morality. The connection can give us strength and continuity, as both the Queen and Baroness Warsi emphasised, in different ways, last week. But it can also lead to conflict, especially when we use it to control what is important to us – our land, our way of life, our tribe and people.

So this close and sometimes confusing connection is not really a surprise. ‘Cultural Christianity’ is still very much a part of the life of our society. Contrary to what the survey’s sponsors argue, the actual results make this clear. Of course, it is being eroded and that may continue.

But secondly, religion and culture are not the same. There is a difference between those who identify themselves as Christian (or Hindu or Muslim or anything else), primarily because that is the tradition and culture in which they were brought up and feel at home, and those who have made a conscious commitment to certain beliefs and behaviour based on those beliefs. The difference may not always be for the better: it all depends on the beliefs and behaviour. Sincerely religious people could be harsh, unforgiving, fanatical – or they could be loving, generous and self-sacrificing.

The survey is a challenging reminder that it does make a difference what you believe and follow. Or you could say the real difference is who you believe and follow.

‘Religion’ does not necessarily lead us to God.  It could just lead to self-righteousness. Only God can lead us to himself.

Robin Thomson

Read more on this topic:
How are faith and culture connected?
What is the link between Christianity and western culture?

Posted on 20 February 2012, 16:09

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Notes for the Journey: following Jesus, staying South Asian is now available as an ebook.

You can purchase it from

Amazon

iTunes

Lulu

For more details on the book or to order a hard copy, please go to our resources section or see our earlier post (September 2011).

Posted on 14 February 2012, 14:45

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Humpty Dumpty would love it. A judge has just banned prayers at formal meetings of a local council. He ruled that “The saying of prayers as part of the formal meeting of a Council is not lawful under s111 of the Local Government Act 1972”.

The Act allows councils to do anything that “facilitates, or is conducive or is incidental” to a council’s functions. Many (of course, not all) would argue that prayer could most definitely fulfil those purposes. So the decision that it is not lawful for a Council to include it (if it so wishes) is puzzling. Especially as the judge ruled that the practice is not discriminatory or breaching human rights.

The judgement does seem to fit the Humpty Dumpty approach:

“When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less.”

Last month a court in India ruled that the Bhagavad Gita, one of Hindus’ most precious scriptures, is not a religious book. This was the equivalent of “The Pope is not Catholic.” And it was definitely in line with Humpty Dumpty’s doctrine. The state government wanted to keep using the text in its schools, in face of a challenge from another faith.

Religious belief and practice are increasingly controversial, everywhere. The temptation - to all of us - is to redefine words and concepts to suit our agenda, rather than thinking them through with fairness and respect.

A related issue, though not in this case, is the place of prayer in the context of our plurality of faiths (religious and non-religious). One approach is to ban all religious expression in public places, as the USA supposedly does - but politicians there still conclude “God bless America”. Another is to allow people to pray according to their own tradition and belief. Meetings of the Hindu Christian Forum, for example, begin with prayer, first by one faith, then by the other. It does not mean joining the other’s prayer, but rather acknowledgement and respect for the other.

“The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.”

“The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master - that’s all.”

Robin Thomson

Posted on 10 February 2012, 11:58

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I’ve done a bit of talking to people – actually a PhD over 5 years – to ask why (and how) people in the West ‘convert’ to Buddhism. Perhaps what I’ve discovered might be generalisable.

Firstly, Buddhist ‘converts’ don’t like the word ‘conversion’. They think it’s too ‘Christian’ (it probably is). Secondly, Buddhists can ‘convert’ formally in what’s known as ‘taking refuge’. This is a short ceremony where a person takes refuge in the Buddha (the historical Buddha and/or an ideal that he represents), the Dharma (the teachings, specifically the Four Noble Truths), and the Sangha (the community of Buddhists in a tradition of your choice). This is like a confession of faith. This ceremony can double up as an entry rite for ordination too. However, thirdly, most don’t formally ‘convert’ at all: they simply ‘start practising’. Counting people who ‘practise’ Buddhism can be problematic. Practice is usually meditation, or a new ethical way of being, often following 5 key precepts: abstain from taking life, abstain from taking that which is not given, abstain from sexual misconduct, abstain from false speech, and abstain from intoxicating drinks.

The ‘why’ of conversion is complex, but many perceive Buddhist meditation offers a peacefulness they cherish in this noisy and mixed up world. Many appreciate the community they’re in. Many have had a long circuitous route through the sorrows of life, including poor experiences of Christianity.

As a Christian, I’ve been challenged by the ‘belief, belonging, behaving’ trio. It seems that often for my new Buddhist friends behaving (meditation and ethics) offers a path way into belonging (the community of practitioners). Belief doesn’t seem so important in the first instance, but often comes later. I’m wondering if they have something to offer in reminding me that belonging in a community, and maintaining spiritual disciplines, are in themselves worthwhile?

I took up the invitation to sit in a Zen session. The practice was simple, yet disciplined. The form is similar (both Buddhism and Christianity have meditation traditions), but the content is very different: Buddhist meditation is premised on no-god, even no-self. Christian meditation is premised on one God who exists.

Will I ‘convert’ to Buddhism? It’s highly unlikely. I’m totally convinced that the resurrection of Jesus utterly transformed the cosmos we live in. Have I come to appreciate and respect the practices of the Western Buddhists around me? Yes. (And by the way: sitting zazen for 20 minutes is excruciatingly painful).

Dr Prabhudas, Lecturer in Buddhism and Intercultural Studies

Posted on 02 February 2012, 14:32

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