Trust, Society and Religion

As I woke up. I was listening to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23825465 . This soon activated my brain as I completely disagree with his thesis. Sacks appears to say because we abandoned "religion" and thereby trust, societal collapse is all our fault. Effectively the original Genesis fall story. By contrast I largely blame the present situation on those very religious institutions. Examples from the personal and general. The biggest general failure has been religion's inability to deal with Science with many elements still wanting to believe in a crude creationism. A very specific failure throughout my life which continually impedes on us all is the "chosen race's" treatment of its neighbours and subjects in the "Holy Land". This does nothing to recommend religion to people of a sensitive disposition.

At a personal level ( I will spare you specifics but shout loud this is not a matter of "abuse"), more than once over  a forty year period I have felt specifically betrayed by Church of England power brokers. Matters of betrayals of confidence and bad process. However my personal gripes are as nothing compared with the very well publicised instances of sexual abuse. Sacks worries about lack of trust: clerical sexual abuse and then cover ups are the acid of that.  And to end: nothing new under the sun.

William Blake (1757–1827).  The Poetical Works.  1908.

Poetical Sketches

Prologue, intended for a Dramatic Piece of King Edward  the Fourth

O FOR a voice like thunder, and a tongue
To drown the throat of war! When the senses
Are shaken, and the soul is driven to madness,
Who can stand? When the souls of the oppressèd
Fight in the troubled air that rages, who can stand?	5
When the whirlwind of fury comes from the
Throne of God, when the frowns of his countenance
Drive the nations together, who can stand?
When Sin claps his broad wings over the battle,
And sails rejoicing in the flood of Death;	10
When souls are torn to everlasting fire,
And fiends of Hell rejoice upon the slain,
O who can stand? O who hath causèd this?
O who can answer at the throne of God?
The Kings and Nobles of the Land have done it!	15
Hear it not, Heaven, thy Ministers have done it!

And sung by Loreena McKennitt / Douglas Campbell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJF3Myn1FKw