Take this new group calling itself Not In Our Name whose members are pestering the curia to strike them off it's register. They want to, as it were, de-baptise themselves. It appears that the curia - ever its own worst enemy - is not making it easy for them. So now these atheists or lapsed Catholics are threatening to take the church to court for not erasing the effect of a few drops of holy water on their foreheads administered shortly after their births. Click: Faith defectors considering legal action against Curia.
This is ridiculous. Losing your religion today is a totally private matter with no civil, political or financial repercussions. And it longer brings about public opprobrium. So all you have to do, if you are so inclined, is to just stop believing and quietly get on with your life. Leaving the church does not have to turn into the last melodramatic act of a Verdi opera staged on the steps of the curia in Floriana.
In a way, the loud and trenchant anti-church attitude of these misguided 'liberals' is a historical throwback of sorts. Early Christians used to be persecuted by Roman centurions. When the church became a temporal power in most of the known world it turned the tables and persecuted heretics. Now, we are back to 'liberals' persecuting the church. Except that this time these guys are doing it for no demonstrable reason, indeed without rhyme or reason.
Nouveau Maltese 'liberals' are turning themselves into new authoritarians, nemeses of classic liberals. True liberals are preminently predisposed to be rational, tolerant, charitable, enlightened, broadminded and generous, although they do not have a monopoly on these virtues. They are as prepared to defend liberty at all costs as much as they are adamant in rejecting hysteria as a way of political life, particularly over trivial matters. Johnny come lately Maltese 'liberals' do not manifest these traits. On the contrary, when it comes to projecting what they think is right, they are as intolerant, aggressive, narrow-minded and divisive as those they oppose.
Ladies and gentlemen of Not In Our Name, you are not alone leaving the church. Do it quietly and leave the church alone. I am a liberal and a non-believer, but please do not speak in my name.
12 comments:
the 'few drops of water' can be considered as the equivalent of signing a register proclaiming your marriage.
I disagree with you Lou.
You make it sound like religion in Malta is a private matter and therefore if you want to disassociate yourself from it you should do it privately. In Malta religion is not a private matter. It is super-imposed on you, not just through baptism, but through religious studies and religious symbols in schools, parents sending you to "muzew" classes, festas every week, religious decorations everywhere even when its not holiday season etc. So I think that a public, mass resignation from the Church is appropriate in this case. This group asked those who agree with them to join them. It is not imposing anything and it is not being intolerant as you imply. If anything, you are. Or even better, you're being patronising and arrogant about the fact that the real liberals are people such as yourself. Who is a liberal according to you? Those who keep voting a Christian party in Government election after election, in the hope that one day the so called liberal faction faction of PN takes over? We also know that Muscat's "progressivi moderati" are anything but liberal.
Also, I think your "Johnny come lately" comment is patronising. Everyone has his/her time to start being active. Also, I bet most of these people are young anyway.
Victor Fiorini
Victor, you first misrepresent my argument then you proceed to attack that rather than what I wrote. Today, leaving the church is a private matter because it has no consequences. Therefore to turn it in to a seemingly brave collective act is pointless.
On the other hand, the influence of the church on Maltese civil and national institutions is a completely different matter. But this angle was outside the scope of this particular post. If you are interested in my views on an example of how the church is still allowed to interfere in matters of state you might want to take look at a recent Post 'Church separate from state?'
Maybe you need to dig a bit more into the issues you listed in the previous regarding the Church and the State and NGO by listening to both parties in question. I am assuming, from what you wrote, that you did not properly consider the Church side of the argument.
Joseph Calleja
@ Joseph Calleja - if you read the post you refer to, I did not get into who is right in the government/church negotiations about the NGO law. My point was simple: why were church organisations allowed to break the law and other NGOs were not?
U ajma Lou, gej b' "attack". what do you expect when you have a blog and take the role of Father Liberal while being a Conservative party sympathiser? Iddahhakni int!
Leaving the church does not have to be private. Especially if it is done "en masse". It will be an eye opener for alot of other Maltese people who may feel the same way but are scared of talking about it. It won;t necessarily lead to people also resigning from the church, but maybe from not being afraid and intimidated by speaking out against tradition, conservative religious values. If you think this doesn't happen in Malta, think again.
Victor Fiorini
My comment was not directed either at asking who is right or wrong, who broke the law or not. I think that there are people of enough integrity on all sides on this conversation. But I was inviting you to ask deeper questions to see whether actually the whole law or its applications need to be reconsidered.
Thanks for reading the post and replying.
JC
if I recall well, even the Community Chest Fun was still not registered up till the L-Istrina of this year.
JC
I think that Lou's non believing stance stems more from personal 'mishaps' in life rather than a love with atheism, or what he calls liberalism, which is a loosely defined word that can also include many things.
Regarding the exiting of many people from the Church, possibly we shall have some vestiges of an indication in the upcoming census.
What I am sure of, irrespective of so called secular, liberal or defectors to be, I am sure that those who send their children to Church schools will continue to do so, those who have their relatives living in an old people's home will still leave them there, village festas will still happen and money in L-Istrina will be given to support Church charities.
These can smack of inconsistency.
JC
@Anonymous "Lou'snon believing stance stems more from personal 'mishaps' in life rather than a love with atheism, or what he calls liberalism, which is a loosely defined word that can also include many things." Mmm, an anonymous therapist. I always wanted to meet one :)
I shall regard that as a compliment.
BTW, I am pretty sure that you know a couple of good ones.
JC
One thing that irritates me about the new group is its bombastic title. I realise that, for media and PR purposes, every NGO must be identified by a catchy word or phrase but, why "not in my name"?
As far as I know, this slogan was used by those who opposed the war against the Taliban after 9/11; it had nothing to do with the Church. Perhaps the drama queens who set up this group liked the slogan and decided to adopt it but they are only proving how ignorant and stupid they are.
The Church does not act in our name but in the name of Jesus Christ.
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