Some things have been pointed out to me over the last month or two (or possibly three) which I have not yet got around to addressing.
First, in this post, I said that ‘So it was in Ireland; the seeds of faith sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow, as Jesus says, but as soon as the hot sun of materialism and secularism came out it withered away and died.’ It was pointed out to me that this was a bit sweeping, and indeed it was.
I still hold that the faith here in Ireland had many underlying weaknesses, and that this description of it has a lot of truth to it. Nevertheless, I do not wish to disparage the countless number of Irish men and women who out of genuine faith gave their lives in the faithful service of God, whether as priests and religious or as lay men and women. I have often come across debates where one person argues that the faith of the early 20th century Irish was real and another argues that it was a false veneer. I sincerely believe that this is a case of both/and; some truly longed to know, love and serve God, and others went along for the ride without letting love for God truly reach their hearts. I shall try to be less sweeping in future.
Meanwhile, some points on this post on the Four Camps.
First of all, somebody pointed out that the A-B axis has a lot of similarity with the Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael division in Irish politics. Not true across the board, perhaps, but I think that there’s a lot to be said for it.
Another friend pointed out that calling these two ‘camps’ Camp A and Camp B is confusing. Which it is. I can’t seem to come up with terms that adequately define the two groups though and I want neutral terms moreover. Suggestions would be appreciated!
By Grace and Banners Fallen 