Comments on: The Buddha and a calming colouring book

By: Jon Cook

Jon Cook — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 11:28:55 +0000

I thought the opening contrast between the Buddhist temple and the Christian church was a wonderful way of introducing this short guide to Christianity’s fascination with suffering and torture. Your account of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs shows how this fascination was developed in Protestantism, not to be outdone in this respect by Catholicism’s own stories and illustrations of martyred saints. It reminded me of the argument that Christianity is itself a form of torture worship, based in the thought of an all powerful father who is willing to see his son tortured in order to redeem the world.
As always, so thought provoking, Jo.

By: AnnV

AnnV — Sat, 08 Jan 2022 18:56:42 +0000

In reply to Huguenot Jo.

Interesting paper by Joseph Cronin about the usual quote from Marx that ‘Religion is the opium of the people.’ From his ‘Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right’ (1844) https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/religionglobalsociety/2018/05/still-an-opium-contemporary-marxists-versus-karl-marx-on-the-question-of-religion/
He discusses why today’s Marxists may suggest that modern Marxism is not opposed to religion – perhaps opportunistically-as “most economically marginalised groups, certainly in the UK but also across the globe, tend to have higher levels of religious observance. Why then would you want to alienate a potentially huge and receptive audience by telling them that their faith is an ‘opium’?” Cronin op cit.

By: Huguenot Jo

Huguenot Jo — Sat, 08 Jan 2022 17:25:34 +0000

In reply to Ann V.

Remember that the poor had to be kept in their place, in this instance by – literally – putting the fear of God into them. I can’t give sources, but it’s acknowledged that Methodism was an antidote to Marxism.

By: Ann V

Ann V — Sat, 08 Jan 2022 13:28:42 +0000

I should add that reading your earlier piece about the Puritans clarified the idea of being ‘chosen’.

By: Ann V

Ann V — Sat, 08 Jan 2022 13:22:09 +0000

What a wonderful and wacky opening – a delicious counterpoint to your theme that ‘Christianity seems to be all about suffering…’ As ever you give us a new perspective on the time. I had no idea that Foxe’s book of Martyrs was the only book most Protestants would read apart from the bible, despite being four times the latter’s length. Your flash forward to your father’s reading material is a fascinating parallel.
Interesting idea that Foxe could be seen as a proto-Puritan* whose view of the English as a special people gave a massive boost to English nationalism versus foreign ‘popery’. I feel uncomfortable echoes in the post Brexit era.
The pictures you have added to this site add to the drama of the story.
I hope one day you will find details of the sermons given by Alfred Barnabas Hall as I would love to read your dissenting view.
When there is/was so much poverty and suffering you would have thought a kinder religion would have helped people more.
* Not sure I was aware that the Puritans regarded themselves as a ‘chosen people’. A link to a definition might help here.

By: Huguenot Jo

Huguenot Jo — Mon, 03 Jan 2022 14:51:05 +0000

In reply to Bob. Yes, altogether a more peaceful approach. Thank you!

By: Huguenot Jo

Huguenot Jo — Mon, 03 Jan 2022 14:49:55 +0000

In reply to Barbara Selby. Ordinary people were kept in line by the example of the martyrs; as you say, such horrors are still going on. I like the sound of your uncle!

By: Huguenot Jo

Huguenot Jo — Mon, 03 Jan 2022 14:43:23 +0000

In reply to Jennifer A Sinclair. "Hatchet man" is a great description, thank you! Plenty of hatcheting went on in Tudor times.

By: Huguenot Jo

Huguenot Jo — Mon, 03 Jan 2022 14:40:13 +0000

In reply to Monique Goodliffe. It's ages since I read Knowledge of Angels, but it came back to me very clearly from your comment - thank you!

By: Huguenot Jo

Huguenot Jo — Mon, 03 Jan 2022 14:37:58 +0000

In reply to Lyn Innes. My own Strict Baptist girlhood was different in so many ways, yet your final point – “or chose to inflict upon ourselves” – is bang on. Messages are internalised and the child becomes her own persecutor.

By: Lyn Innes

Lyn Innes — Sun, 02 Jan 2022 12:47:22 +0000

As always I admire the way you manage to draw the reader into a whole world through the keyhole of one mage or event. Foxe’s Book if Martyrs was not part of my scene as a child. But at my Catholic boarding school we were each day read, as we struggled with our old porridge or rubbery frankfurters, gruesome episodes from the lives of saints, especially young girl saints who heroically resisted rapists and other fearsome men. A favourite tale was that of St Maria Goretti who was martyred at the age of 12. We all exchanged not football cards but holy cards, featuring suffering saints as well as the sorrows of Mary and Christ— all painted in garish colours which would have been the envy of your Buddhist worshippers. When it comes to suffering I suspect Catholicism outdoes Protestantism. And I haven’t even begun to detail the various and ingenious penances we were given or chose to inflict upon ourselves.

By: Monique Goodliffe

Monique Goodliffe — Sat, 01 Jan 2022 08:23:31 +0000

Another fascinating blog, Huguenot Jo! I love the juxtaposition of the smiling Buddhas and the agonies depicted in Foxe’s book of martyrs. Interesting too how it was written at a time when the English were promoting a kind of exceptionalist philosophy which became ever more dominant and seems to have resulted in Brexit, to all our cost – at least in my opinion. I was also reminded of the wonderful novel by Jill Paton Walsh Knowledge of Angels in which the girl who has been brought up by wolves is shocked to the core by her first sight of the gruesome cruelty depicted in the crucifix she sees in the church. And she is supposed to be the savage. 🤔

I especially enjoyed the very clear overview you give of the history of Protestantism in this blog and the part that Foxe played. Anti Catholic feeling persisted for a long, long time.

By: Jennifer A Sinclair

Jennifer A Sinclair — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 17:37:22 +0000

I really enjoyed this, thank you. I just finished reading Hilary Mantel’s The Mirror and the Light, about last days of Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII’s hatchet man.
Such brutal times. I agree with you to stick to the plastic orange flowers and smiling Buddhas!

By: Barbara Selby

Barbara Selby — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 09:12:08 +0000

My avowedly humanist uncle had an old copy of Foxe’s book of Martyrs that I think he used to help confirm his view that religion never had nor ever would be a positive influence on the way people led their lives. Although the martyrs there were celebrated and may have gone happily to their death trusting there would be a place for them among the chosen in heaven a lot of ordinary people were caught up in the horrors depicted just as they are now when zealots try to persuade and then force obedience to their narrow path.

By: Bob

Bob — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 09:04:55 +0000

Think I prefer the Buddhist Temple .