out of africa

Credit goes to Giggy for flagging this one up on facebook: Times favourite son Matthew Parris, writing brilliantly on a topic entitled "As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God". Parris is has previously borne no falsehoods on his negativity towards religion as such, but as a quality journalist making honest observations, he's delivered a great piece of comment, worthy of more than five minutes of your time.

'Christianity, post-Reformation and post-Luther, with its teaching of a direct, personal, two-way link between the individual and God, unmediated by the collective, and unsubordinate to any other human being, smashes straight through the philosphical/spiritual framework I've just described. It offers something to hold on to to those anxious to cast off a crushing tribal groupthink. That is why and how it liberates.'

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