Tuesday 8 April 2008

Religious extremism ... in Dunkeld!!

More ponderings/ramblings on our visit to Dunkeld yesterday.

The wee cathdedral is "a game of two halves". The original cathedral was destroyed during a fit of un-controlled iconoclasm during the Scottish Reformation in 1560. The leaders of the Reformation ordered that the statues and icons and such-like should be removed, but that the building should not be damaged. The zeal (or greed?) of the mob got the better of them and the cathedral was destroyed.

I'm pleased to say that there is still an active, lovely wee kirk at one end of the building (unlike St Andrews where something similar happened).

Powerful thing, religious emotion - easy to incite, difficult to control. Sounds familiar?

It strikes me that it's all too easy to judge the motives and behaviours of others - but if we look at our own history, there are parallels that are due to human behaviour - not creeds or beliefs.

3 comments:

That Hideous Man said...

It's a lovely part of the world!

I'm constantly trying to explain to my kids how blessed they are to have places like Dunkeld so close. The trouble is, when I tell them, "we had nothing like that where I grew up in London.." they stare back at me with the blank incredulity I once offered my father when he said the same about t.v.'s and central heating!

PS - I once did tear down an idol, but that is a very good story for another day :-)

Les (Endlessly Restless) said...

THM - You had tv and central heating? Luxury... we had to run round the streets to get warm, and make finger shadows from the street lights for entertainment - but you try telling that to young people nowadays!

(By the way, yes, it is a lovely part of the world)

His Girl Friday said...

haha, you two 'crack me up'...thanks for the laugh.

good post, ER....I agree, tis a lovely part of the world.
I wonder, is there an explanation as to why I feel a touch of homesickness when I see photies of places out your way??!! :))