Which life?

The magazine The New Humanist is run by the Rationalist Association. I love that there is a contemporary publication devoted to humanism. This is a worthy cause. I do not love that Borders in York stocks The New Humanist but does not stock any Christian journals.

The Rationalist Association does not appear to oppose religious beliefs, just religious dogma. However, on the inside cover of the current issue of The New Humanist is an advert by a different group, the British Humanist Association. I notice that their slogan is: "for the one life we have". The BHA clearly believes that this commitment to "the one life we have" distinguishes them from Christian organisations. All it reminded me of was the slogan of Christian Aid: "we believe in life before death".

This got me thinking about the attitudes expressed in the above statements. Earlier in the day, a friend of mind had suggested that Christians are more likely to be accepting of the status quo because of their trust in a higher power. An "opiate for the masses", you might say. But my reading of the Gospels is that Jesus persistently exhorts us towards active subversion. We are told to pursue ideals of love, community and faith against the norms of society. He promises a life after death, but all his advice is on how to act in this life.

The British Humanist Association and Christian Aid are opposed on a matter of principle, but their end conclusion is the same: a commitment to the life we are living now. Surely rationalism and a love of Christ are not incompatible?