November 2006

It was 30 years ago that Time magazine famously asked on its cover ‘Is God dead?’

One theological professor I knew responded that it was a case of the mistaken identity of the corpse! The featured Time article was about the rapid spread of atheism. Since then state-sponsored atheism has suffered a blow with the collapse and disintegration of numerous communist regimes. The reckoning of those killed by such governments has meant that it has become difficult to ever again affirm the mantra that ‘religion is the cause of war’.

In The Age last week cartoonist and social commentator Danny Katz wrote a striking piece. He chose to lament – in his inimitably satirical way – The Death of the Death of God. With characteristic humour his lead-in proclaimed ‘Not only has religion risen from the grave, it has been working out’. The article has the familiar Katz hallmark of rapid fire superficial and eclectic social comments delightfully undercut at the end of each paragraph with a terminally underwhelming irrelevant and irreverent example. Katz is asking ‘Is there is a conspiracy fostering the rising tide of religion?’

The article had a decided edge. This is seen in the four main paragraphs. Each paragraph lamented aspects of society for which Katz indicts Christianity. The actual words used in the headings were (his capitals) CHRISTIAN-ISED, CHRISTIAN-ATED, CHRISTIAN-IFIED and CHRISTIAN-IFESTED.

It is hard to credit that the irreverent Danny Katz could have swallowed the media hype about Christianity. The evidence of the Christian faith in our community is scarcely media exposure for this or that pressure group. Christians believe love is incarnate in Jesus. Christianity is about incarnating love. The faith is more a matter of embracing the Micah Challenge on world poverty, based on Micah 6:8, as suggested recently in assembly. Would Katz disagree? Or, in the words of James, to ‘take care of orphans and widows in their suffering and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world’.

As the dominant religion in Australia, Christianity is fair game for the satirist. But Christianity has contributed to the freedom which enables us to lampoon its followers, and even, if one chooses, scorn its Christ. This precious freedom takes us, as most freedoms do, on to dangerous ground. It is the topic of Paul’s letter to the Galatians, especially the climactic fifth chapter. Such freedom is disallowed many of the world’s minority groups.

In the meantime, conspiracy or not, as Katz says, ‘It sure seems like something is going on, something very big’. How right he is! Find out more this Christmas, celebrate God Incarnate! Join us to sing your favourite Carols in the Memorial Hall on December 6th.

A safe and happy Christmas to you and your family!

Sincerely Graham Bradbeer

Chaplain

Graham Bradbeer