In
the campaign to be Louisiana’s governor, one of the candidates has been touting
himself as ‘a proven job creator’. Folks
in the States have been hearing words like these since FDR and the New
Deal. Now, we will admit that there are
some flaws in the economic system (some of them quite bad) that need to be
addressed. However, it cannot be
gainsaid that, contrasted with other countries around the world today or with
peoples of the past, the physical standard of living of people in Louisiana is
quite high. Thus, the improvements to
the Louisiana folk by increased manufacturing capacity, debt forgiveness, help
for small farmers, etc. will only be improvements of degree. For the real problems in Louisiana society
are not physical but spiritual. We ought,
then, to yearn for a candidate for governor who would promote himself as ‘a
proven saint creator’ rather than ‘a job creator’.
The
true calling of man is not to have a six-figure salary but rather to clothe
himself with Christ, to partake of the divine nature (Romans 13:14, II Peter
1:4), to see ‘the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ’ (II Cor. 4:6, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+4&version=KJV). But how can we attain this when some of the
most powerful men in our State are pointing us away from this greatest goal,
when they are drowning the soul in an overabundance of material pleasures?
Unfortunately,
at present, we cannot expect otherwise; the idea of ‘religious freedom’ forbids
it. Donald Meyer writes of its
consequences:
Separation of church and
state never had meant seclusion of religion to purely private life. More decisively, separation of church and
state, with its ban on any establishment of religion, had carried the positive
meaning that Americans were free to invent new theologies, new churches, new
religions. This fertility of invention
was not some principle laid down in the Constitution but a fact of American
life.
--The Positive Thinkers,
1965, revised 1988, p. 388; quoted in Harold Bloom, The American Religion:
The Emergence of the Post-Christian Nation, Simon & Schuster, 1992, p.
55
Religious
freedom and a Christian culture cannot co-exist. They are mutually exclusive; the one will
push out the other. Freedom of religion,
for all the boasts of its supporters, has only given us the innovations and
buffoonery on display throughout the history of the States: Shakers, Mormons, Jimmy Swaggart, John Hagee,
and so on. Louisiana, and any other
State desiring a Christian culture, must repeal disestablishment clauses from
her constitution and formally declare Christianity to be the religion of the
folk. That recognition will make it much
easier to defend the Church from her enemies and build a Christian culture.
St
Alfred the Great, King of England (+899), is a wonderful ensample for us to
follow. His efforts to re-establish
Orthodox Christianity amongst his people after the heathen Danes had decimated
the land are described in part as follows:
ALFRED THE CHURCHMAN
Always the deep
thinker, Alfred considered that the source of all the problems of England was
not political, civil and military, but spiritual and moral. He believed that
the heathen invasions had happened because of Christian England's spiritual
decline during the late eighth and ninth centuries. The heathen men had come as
a punishment for English decadence and unworthiness, ignorance and materialism.
Alfred therefore struck at the heart of the problem and instituted a rebirth of
religion and learning, which was to be enshrined in the revival of monasticism,
culture and the law. Only this spiritual rebirth and cultural renaissance could
ensure peace, respect for authority, morality and prosperity in the future.
Just as he had saved
Christian England militarily, Alfred now set about saving English Christendom
through piety and learning. Thus Alfred personally directed and set an example
for the affairs of his Kingdom. He went to the divine services and the
communion service every day. He took part in the reading of certain psalms and
prayers in the daytime and at night. He listened while the Scriptures and other
books were read aloud and learned by heart. Later he was to begin a translation
of the psalms, which survives. He continued his habits of almsgiving and
charity to the poor and showed immense generosity and hospitality to native
people and foreign visitors. He cherished his bishops and clergy, his nobles
and servants.
. . .
Showing great
curiosity in the acquisition of new religious knowledge, Alfred wished to
restore learning in general. He set an example by personally learning Latin
over a period of about five years between 887 and 892. This began on St
Martin's Day, 11 November 887. Then aged thirty-nine, Alfred was beginning an
apprenticeship. As we shall see, eventually aided by his scholars, he was to
become a translator from Latin into English of essential works from the early
Church for the benefit of the faithful. This idea started from Alfred's
handbook of quotations, which he had kept from his youth.
Alfred also gave
instructions to the sons of the people who spent time with the King, loving
them no less than his own children. Of this he later wrote in his foreword to
'Pastoral Care': 'Let all the free-born youth now in England and who are able
be set to learning'. The importance of his cathedral-schools he set up for this
purpose should not be underestimated in shaping the next generation of the
English elite.
Alfred encouraged
craftsmen who designed new treasures and paid much attention to the adornment
of churches with gold and silver. Alfred was also, it seems, something of a
church architect. He began a programme of building in stone, importing builders
and craftsmen from Europe. One historian of church architecture, E. A. Fisher,
has pointed out that the result was a new beginning in English church
architecture. Although based on European motifs, it was by no means a copy of a
foreign style, but a truly national development, which continued right until
the Norman Conquest.
. . .
ALFRED AND THE
REBIRTH OF MONASTIC LIFE
In thanksgiving for
his victory planned on the isle of Athelney, from where England had been saved,
Alfred built his first monastery. Linked by a bridge with two towers to the
mainland, it was square in plan with four rounded arches. It appears to have
followed the plan of a Greek cross and was inspired perhaps by the church at
Germigny on the Loire in France. Here Alfred brought artists and craftsmen from
overseas and gathered priests, deacons and monks of several nationalities, so
that his own people could relearn the traditions of monastic life. Although his
attempt to restore monastic life was to be unsuccessful here, it was at least
to sow great seeds for the future.
From the far north of
France, in about 886 there came the elderly but learned priest, Grimbald, and
then from Saxony the priest John who became Abbot of Athelney. Both John and
Grimbald were later esteemed to be saints. Other clergy also came from France,
and even one convert from among the Vikings. At that time, in about 887, there
also appeared the priest, or possibly bishop, Asser, from St David's in Wales,
under whose name was written an unfinished life of King Alfred. This life
survives to this day and regardless of when, where and by whom the version with
its interpolations which we now have, was actually written, it is one of the
main sources for the life of Alfred.
Alfred's second
foundation, a convent, begun in 880, was established at Shaftesbury. It was
here that his own daughter, Ethelgifu, became Abbess. Many other noble nuns
lived with her. Alfred endowed both monasteries, and many others already
existing, abundantly. In his love for the English character and English life,
his vision and his care were to restore Christian England to something of the
glory that she had held before the heathen wars.
Alfred also planned
two more foundations, a monastery and a convent, in the main city of Wessex
Christendom, Winchester. Although these were not to be completed until after
his death, Alfred was to be buried and for over 500 years honoured in
Winchester, and his widow was to retire to the convent, the Nunnaminster. Such
facts make the much later medieval accusation that Alfred 'despoiled' the
monastery of Abingdon sound strange indeed.
Such was Alfred's
faith that he resolved to devote to God one half of his service, both by day
and by night, and one half of his riches. His time was measured accurately by a
candle, which burned inside an ox-horn lantern, so that he actually consecrated
exactly half of all his energies to God.
. . .
St
Alfred is an extraordinary man. It would
be difficult in any age for someone in government to do again all his many great
accomplishments for the Faith. But that
does not excuse us from the work of baptizing the government and using it in
all appropriate ways to promote Christianity among Louisiana’s folk, as we see
that it was done in the lives of St Alfred, St Tamar of Georgia, St Stephen
Nemanja of Serbia, St Vladimir of Russia, and many other kings and queens
besides.
Louisiana’s
only other option is to maintain a ‘religiously neutral’ government (an
impossibility; it will promote some kind of faith. And if it is not avowedly Christian, then it
is likely that at least some heathen doctrines are being promoted.) and watch
our political candidates blunder about like the Three Stooges while they
promise us an iPhone in every pot.
--
Holy Ælfred the Great, King of England,
South Patron, pray for us sinners at the Souð,
unworthy though we are!
Anathema to the Union!
