All that you have is your soul (Tracy Chapman).

Sunday 23 December 2007

What Kind Of Catholic Will Blair Be?

I'm really not quite sure what to make of Tony Blair's conversion to Roman Catholicism.

On the one hand, I believe it is perfectly within his right to take on whatever religion he wants. At the end of the day, he has the freedom to choose his own spiritual path. Saying that, I very much hope that that he embraces a more modern interpretation of Catholicism - the kind which doesn't blame the Jews for the death of Christ (as per the last two millennia)

I also believe it most uncharitable of people to call him a hypocrite for his past views. Maybe it's my Jewish sensibilities, but we hold that when one moves up the spiritual ladder, as Mr Blair is undoubtedly doing, the rest of us do everything to encourage him/her and at the same time, avoid bringing up past decisions and actions.

Why shoot someone down when they are trying to reach a higher spiritual plane (assuming that their aim is to avoid becoming a fundamentalist and as a result, taking on homicidal intent)?

I wish Mr Blair only success in his new found path. I also hope that he remains level-headed and has the nous to avoid the more contentious elements of his new found religion. He could be the modern of the Roman Catholic church, something that would benefit us all.

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