Damn. I'm posting in the Switchboard again.
I think it might be helpful to understand what goes on when a Christian prays to God over a difficult decision. Or, rather, it might be helpful to understand what an atheist could recognize as going on when a Christian prays in this manner. Here's what (an atheist would perceive that) I would do:
I'd calm my mind, and ask something called God for guidance, to help me come to the right decision. My subconscious would then do some processing of the myriad variables that my conscious reasoning could not handle and deliver some results. Recent studies suggest that good complex decision-making requires using the subconscious mind, so one might excuse me for pretending like God is a part of the process.
Granted, anyone (like me) who believes she's praying to God would not find that explanation adequate because it lacks an explanation of the actual role of God in the process, but that's about what goes on.
Dr Evan Harris, a Liberal Democrat MP and honorary associate of the National Secular Society, said the comments were "bizarre" and warned against politicians making "references to deity" in public life.
This apparently means that a politician who believes in God ought to refrain from saying anything about it. I'm not sure what to make of this idea. If Blair is worshipping God, you would think that either people would not care or that people would wish to know about it. If people don't care, then there seems no reason that he should silence himself; if they wish to know, then there seems to be good reason to speak. Perhaps religion is understood as analogous to a good night of sex. Good for Blair if he has it, but let's not talk about it in interviews. I would guess that it's Blair's reluctance to talk about his relationship with God that makes answering the primary question of this thread so difficult. What impact does his religion make on UK foreign policy? Is it just prayer or does he subscribe to a particular notion of original sin that informs his anthropology? Does he put a lot of emphasis on the rapture (I'd be shocked, really, if he did)? What are the evils of war for Blair — the deaths or the disturbances of the soul that inevitably attend war? Does the soul naturally seek peace? Does worship of God constitute the highest human purpose and how well does the average Muslim do this compared with the average Christian or godless Brit? Can worship possibly be coerced? Does war prevent true worship of God?
I would guess we can answer exactly none of these questions about Blair's personal beliefs. Maybe we could find quotes of his describing the evils of war, but I'm betting they aren't precise enough to conclude firmly that loss of life is the primary evil of war.
Of course, if Blair spoke more frequently about God, we still might not be able to answer these questions, but it might give us something to work with. We know, for instance, that President Carter "worships the Prince of Peace." And I bet that if i bothered to read his new book, I'd find out a lot more about what that means for foreign policy. |
