Are we really a Christian country?

I think we're post-Christian. I also think we're an inheritor of the philosophy of the classical world (along with the rest of Europe), much of which came to us from the Christian tradition, which was in itself changed by it. I don't think you can deny that we have a Christian heritage, but I think that's fading to a large degree, and I think its historical ubiquity is probably over stated. A lot of Medieval religious practice looks like a tolerated or 'baptised' form of folk belief. In the 19th century, around 50% of the population attended neither church nor chapel.

I'm personally a humanist, but there are certainly aspects of the Christian tradition which inform my humanism. If I were an Indian humanist, it might be aspects of the Hindu tradition. But living in the 21st century and having easy access to a wide range of cultures and philosophies, I can find things from outside the Western religious and philosophical traditions that I find helpful and inspiring, such as the philosophy of Lao Tzu.

As someone who is sometimes situationally mute and struggles for words at the best of times, I've always particularly liked this Lao Tzu quote:

“Silence is a source of Great Strength.”

whomper said:

“Silence is a source of Great Strength.”

True.

DormouseAtRest_25 said:

As a Country, I believe there remain some such good lessons we might rediscover and re-apply - for the greater benefit of all community.

I would like to see Quaker values being rediscovered in our communities too.

Many of those values are already in our communities but they don’t make headlines. 

I read today about the below 18th century asylum (with the emphasis upon: retreat, shelter, protection, sanctuary, benevolence, plus, supporting a person's ability to recover their self-esteem and self-control), called "The Retreat", which was set up by a Yorkshire Quaker for aiding people with mental health issues.

"The Retreat [York, England] was founded in 1792 by William Tuke, a Yorkshire Quaker, and opened in 1796.

It has the distinction of having been the first establishment in England where mental illness was regarded as something from which a person could recover, and patients were treated with sympathy, respect and dignity.

The Retreat had a profound influence on public opinion, resulting ultimately in fundamental reform of the laws relating to mental illness and its treatment.

It occupies a central place in the history of psychiatry. Every textbook on the subject mentions the unique part played by it in the reshaping of attitudes to people who are mentally ill.

The Retreat opened in 1796 in the countryside outside York. Unlike mental institutions of the time, there were no chains or manacles, and physical punishment was banned.

Treatment was based on personalised attention and benevolence, restoring the self-esteem and self-control of residents.

An early example of occupational therapy was introduced, including walks and farm labouring in pleasant and quiet surroundings.

There was a social environment where residents were seen as part of a large family-like unit, built on kindness, moderation, order and trust.

There was a religious dimension, including prayer. Inmates were accepted as potentially rational beings, who could recover proper social conduct through self-restraint and moral strength.

They were permitted to wear their own clothing, and encouraged to engage in handicrafts, to write, and to read books.

They were allowed to wander freely around The Retreat’s courtyards and gardens, which were stocked with various small domestic animals."

It struck me that, somehow, although the lessons were learned well in the 18th century; since then - "the wheel fell off our wagon" ...more is the shame in recent times.

As a Country, I believe there remain some such good lessons we might rediscover and re-apply - for the greater benefit of all community.

I read today about the below 18th century asylum (with the emphasis upon: retreat, shelter, protection, sanctuary, benevolence, plus, supporting a person's ability to recover their self-esteem and self-control), called "The Retreat", which was set up by a Yorkshire Quaker for aiding people with mental health issues.

"The Retreat [York, England] was founded in 1792 by William Tuke, a Yorkshire Quaker, and opened in 1796.

It has the distinction of having been the first establishment in England where mental illness was regarded as something from which a person could recover, and patients were treated with sympathy, respect and dignity.

The Retreat had a profound influence on public opinion, resulting ultimately in fundamental reform of the laws relating to mental illness and its treatment.

It occupies a central place in the history of psychiatry. Every textbook on the subject mentions the unique part played by it in the reshaping of attitudes to people who are mentally ill.

The Retreat opened in 1796 in the countryside outside York. Unlike mental institutions of the time, there were no chains or manacles, and physical punishment was banned.

Treatment was based on personalised attention and benevolence, restoring the self-esteem and self-control of residents.

An early example of occupational therapy was introduced, including walks and farm labouring in pleasant and quiet surroundings.

There was a social environment where residents were seen as part of a large family-like unit, built on kindness, moderation, order and trust.

There was a religious dimension, including prayer. Inmates were accepted as potentially rational beings, who could recover proper social conduct through self-restraint and moral strength.

They were permitted to wear their own clothing, and encouraged to engage in handicrafts, to write, and to read books.

They were allowed to wander freely around The Retreat’s courtyards and gardens, which were stocked with various small domestic animals."

It struck me that, somehow, although the lessons were learned well in the 18th century; since then - "the wheel fell off our wagon" ...more is the shame in recent times.

As a Country, I believe there remain some such good lessons we might rediscover and re-apply - for the greater benefit of all community.

DormouseAtRest_25 said:

As a Country, I believe there remain some such good lessons we might rediscover and re-apply - for the greater benefit of all community.

I would like to see Quaker values being rediscovered in our communities too.

Many of those values are already in our communities but they don’t make headlines.