And They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love (Or What Has The National Secular Society Ever Done For Anyone?)

Left: A Certificate of "De-baptism" available from your local "tongue-in-cheek" Secular Society



Multiple Choice Questionnaire:

What with the Pope's visit getting nearer by the day and all, I am fed up to the back teeth of The National Secular Society and the Guardian and their ilk complaining about everything the Pope has never done(!). I have got to thinking about how I have always believed that it is worth weighing up any philosophy in terms of "what would this belief and the people attached to it do for me if I was really in trouble". Now we hear constantly about the shortcomings and failures of the Catholic Church, so I thought I would take Catholicism and some of the opposing philosophies and consider the following:

1. If you found yourself having to beg to survive, where would you go to beg?

a) The local branch of the Secular Society
b) Your local Catholic Church
c) Richard Dawkin's house

2. Who provides millions of pounds worth of healthcare to victims of Aids?

a) The National Secular Society
b) The Catholic Church
c) Peter Thatchell

3. If you lived in a third world country and couldn't afford to send your child to school, who is most likely to provide free education somewhere in your locality?

a) The British Secular Society
b) The Catholic Church
c) Christopher Hitchens

4. If you were unmarried, broke, pregnant, alone and homeless, couldn't see how to keep your baby but didn't really want to kill him or her, who would you contact for help?

a) Marie Stopes International
b) The National Secular Society
c) The Catholic Church

5. If you were being refused food and fluids in hospital and you wanted help to fight for the right to be fed, would you call:

a) Terry Pratchett
b) The National Secular Society
c) The Catholic Church

6. In the case of a national disaster, where homes and workplaces were destroyed who would you expect to provide the most help to victims?

a) The Catholic Church
b) The National Secular Society
c) The Guardian

Well I can't answer for you, but I know which of the above I would be in touch with; The Catholic Church, the largest charitable organisation in the world. A Church of sinners and of saints too. Despite our failings, millions of suffering peoples around the world benefit form the charitable works of the Church everyday ~ And they know we are Christians by our collective love, even though we individually make a hash of so many things.

Let's pray for the other sad lot, let's pray that they can rejoice instead of fearing, that the Kingdom of God has come upon them, in the form of His Vicar setting foot in the UK.

Clare McCullough