Site-The Observer, in a long, balanced, and very careful leadingarticle on January 16, seems to have summed up very well, though rather pessimistically, the essential problem raised by Mrs. Margaret Knight's anti-ieligious B.B.C. talks. It said: "Although Britain remains a Christian country in many public ways. It now probably contains more non-Chrktians than Christians. and responsible speakers for a nonChristian approach to current problems. including moral problems. should he heard," This perheps may be taken (sorrowfully as to the first part) as about correct: but what does
" tin-Christian " mean? Logically it would not necessarily imply " mob-Christian." A person may simply he ignorant of the subject. or indifferent The great probability is that, in the confused spiritual state of our country dating back so lone. large numbers are so classifiable. but are in no way actually antaeonistic to religion.
Indeed the reverse of antagonism may he the case. In an admirable article in the London evening miner. The Star, January IR.
Father Joseph Christie. Si., said: "Christians were divided from one another at the time of the Reformation and the division has been nriasocurce of scandal and weakness ever since." He added: "Whet .
holds no one can tell.
This is certain--that there is a deep lorneciip nne in the hearts of an ever-in c i number for a Faith that will nrovidc an answer to the cornpleeities of life."
Here. surely, is the golden
onnortunitv for Catholics. A first need, however, is to make clear the basic concentions of " doctrine" and "revelation." So many people. as a natural result of generations of religious confusion. have lost even the very notion that doctrine reYea led from God implies doematic authority to teach it. As Father Christie said: "The catchword used to stress the view is 'dogma.' Anything that savoors of dnenna reiest be (they assume) wrong." Until we get the idea well over that " dogma " means simply rimr idern. we shall make little impression
on the widespread see icism.
a. W. Poynter.
99 Gosvenor Avenue. Highbury, N3.