Mystery and denial

The edifice of formal religion has been substantially dismantled owing to a loss of legitimacy, but there is no secular replacement for some of religion's positive functions. There are few structures in secular lives that encourage us to meditate, to reflect on how we treat others, and to discuss these experiences. There is no widely practised secular equivalent of prayer. Those were the positive aspects of the Catholicism I remember from growing up in Ireland in the 1970s and 1980s.

When you grow up in a country where most people share the same religion, you also encounter a very broad spectrum of belief within that faith. The aspects of Catholicism that most appeal to me emphasize how little we know: the virtues of humility, and an acceptance of mystery. When a colleague invited me to attend an Alpha course in the City I was happy to do so. It was organized by the evangelical arm of the Church of England. I have my own personal beliefs about these matters, but am always happy to engage in religious discussion and, almost universally, I have found such exchanges to be respectful and polite, even if prejudicial beliefs are advocated. The meeting took place at lunchtime. We had some sandwiches, and the atmosphere was welcoming and caring, albeit slightly affected. The leader started a factual historical discourse with the explicit intention of showing that Jesus Christ is a proven historical figure: we know for a fact that he existed.