anyone who has negligently jogged through a copy of "the divine comedy" will, i expect, be puzzled why dante places traitors—to kindred, country, and lords—at the very bottom of hell, where the punishment is fiercest. why treason especially? when you consider the vast catalogue of human iniquity—from talking during the movie, to upskirting, to bakers putting chocolate in their hot-cross buns—treason, or double-dealing, doesn't seem so terribly bad. or so i thought.then i happened to hear the archbishop of canterbury's simpering plea for the incorporation of sharia law in england. quite amazing, really. a supposed "defender of the faith" arguing for an accommodation with radical evil (to shoplift a phrase from hannah arendt). and at a time of war, no less. what larks.
one thinks back to the '30s and the reputations of the high-and-splendid obliterated forever by their keeping company with appeasement: geoffrey dawson (editor of "the times"), lord londonderry, miss unity mitford, halifax, chamberlain. pooh-pooh. child's play compared to the archbish's effort.
though i suppose i should send a "thank you" note to lambeth palace for clearing up this dante business for me. all quite straightforward now.
(note: pix "the kiss of judas". no excuse needed for giotto. it seemed most appropriate.)
2 comments:
Oooh, you wouldn't believe the uproar that stupid man's comment caused. People were talking about it on the bus and everything. I mean, public transport is generally used in utter silence.
Granted, the press took his comment slightly out of context, but what kind of an idiot, whose post is to defend the C of E, comes out with rot like that? In public?
the man's an ass. and he's got "priors". like giving aid and comfort to enemy during the iraq war.
though i'm not surprised. these days religion is politics by other means. the c of e is just the lib dems in cassocks and mitres. i think it was "yes mininister" which pointed out that churchman only ever address political subjects now; morals and whatnot they couldn't be bothered with. if williams ever mentions the "39 ariticles" or "the nicene creed", the supposed basis of his religion, i'd die from shock.
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