I was recently listening to a podcast about the late writer Evelyn Waugh. He reportedly said that he needed his catholicism to keep his inner demons from overtaking him and making him the most evil person on the planet. I have always found his catholic faith more than somewhat surprising, given the way he writes about catholic belief and the arguments against it in his novels. In particular Brideshead Revisited and the Sword of Honour trilogy. (I would highly recommend these books to anyone with any interest in the human condition). What is most surprising is the strength and logic of his arguments against this faith and the almost blind acceptance of catholic faith by some of the characters he portrays.
As examples in Brideshead, the character of Charles Ryder is surprised that his friend Sebastian Flyte accepts the ‘awful lot of nonsense’ associated with Catholic beliefs, such as the story of Christ’s birth. Sebastian replies “Is it nonsense? I wish it were. It sometimes sounds terribly sensible to me.” Later in the novel Sebastian’s sister Julia in explaining why she can no longer be with Charles says “ I’ve always been bad. Probably I shall be bad again, punished again. But the worse I am, the more I need God”. This is most likely how Waugh, a convert to Catholicism, felt himself.
Whether this adherence to a church is to do with redemption, atonement or salvation, I can only guess. Most of us have a degree of guilt, self deprecation or embarrassment when we do something we would ordinarily find ‘bad’ or reprehensible, and we seek to redress the wrong with positive actions and apologies. We find no need to address the problem to God and seek absolution from a priest. Many, if not most, of us do not accumulate sins that we take with us to a confessional for ritual forgiveness and prescribed punishments.
Since the beginning of time there has been a cumulation of patterns of behaviour, within different communities, that is considered proper and acceptable. Indeed, most societies across the globe have a similar idea of what is considered to be civilised conduct as between individuals. Initial respect and acceptance are to a large degree what is required, whilst keeping our prejudices, suspicions or hostilities in check. It is generally how things work, with cooperation between individuals.
This attitude of initial cooperation and civility occurs despite the multiplicity of religious beliefs and without the necessity of appealing to a deity for approval. Despite beliefs, mythologies and aged sagas, there is little evidence of any God’s interference is the actions of human’s on earth. That, as one might say, is entirely ‘man made’. What is going on in today’s world is clear evidence of the woeful lack of Godly intervention. I ponder in which direction does the almighty turn when the majority of the population of Ukraine and Russia adhere to the same Orthodox Christian Church. The same prophets, rabbis and imams gave us the bible and the koran and appeal to the same God, yet are at each others throats. Again the situation is entirely man made.
So I ponder who are the men who make it so? Following on from a world shattering economies collapse in the 1930’s a rebuilding and reshaping took place across the world and unfortunately led to an even greater catastrophe in a world war of extraordinary evil. It promulgated and spawned despicable prejudices which more civilised citizen’s were forced into armed conflict to end the horror. In so doing weapons of mass destruction were invented and produced with the caveat that implied ‘we must all behave or armageddon will ensue. It was, so we thought yet again, the war to end all wars. We had hope and faith, and from 1945 to 1963 the world, despite a political cold war and serious outbreaks in Korea and Vietnam, a reconstruction was taking place; yet, with the advent of generations x and y, the dividers, bigoted populists and nationalists are re-emerging from the firmament. It’s as if some rogue seeds had been planted and certain flesh eating maggots have sprung up.
This brings me to the likes of J D Vance, Pete Hegseth, Elon Musk, Marco Rubio, Victor Orban, Benjamin Netanyahu, Nigel Farage, Vladimir Putin, Marine Le Pen, Marion Merechal, Jordan Bardella, Bernd Lucke, Frauke Petry, Tino Chrupalla, Alice Elisabeth Weidel, Santiago Abascal Conde and unfortunately many others. I have only listed but a few. The most prominent at the present time being Vance, Hegseth and Rubio. Their adherence to the sick outpourings of a delusional psychopathic narcissist is nauseating.
The demonisation of jews, gypsies and homosexuals in 1930’s Germany spewing out of the mouths of the political leaders of the Third Reich and the general condemnation of ‘immigrants’ worldwide by Vance, Hegseth and Musk as ‘saving civilisation’ is exactly the same. Why is this outrageous stupidity and venal cupidity allowed to continue? Their latest pronouncements on a British tragedy and situation, that has given the nation pause, is so far out of place that it should be condemned in the strongest possible terms. To make these vile pronouncements on the very anniversary of the day the civilised world stormed the beaches of Normandy to rid the world of the very type of individual they themselves personify is, frankly, taking the piss with extreme prejudice. If ever there was an insult to civilised behaviour this is it.
So where are we and where is God in all of this? Unfortunately it is all man made. I hope there’s still hope. There are moments in history when I feel there is justification in having faith in humanity. Human beings have often come up with surprising civilised solutions, if only after great upheavals. Perhaps we are just going through one of those. I have hope.
