We cannot airbrush history

WHILST supporting the cause of ‘Black Lives Matter’ I am saddened at the way in which militant and violent people have hijacked such protests for their own end.

Their wish to rewrite history is lamentable and should be opposed at every opportunity. Who gave them the right to set themselves up as judge and jury and to evaluate the morals of those who lived in less enlightened times and who, like us all, were a mixture of good and bad.

Where will such judgemental attitudes end?

Are we now to see crowds calling for the public burning of Bibles on the grounds that ‘so called’ holy writ approved of slavery? How long will it be before protesters call for all churches dedicated to the Apostle Paul to change their name by reason of the fact that he advised slaves to ‘obey their earthly masters in all things?’ In his letter to Philemon he pleads on behalf of Onesimus, a runaway slave. At no time, though, does he say that the institution of slavery was wrong or unchristian.

Are we to protest against church hymnals which include hymns by John Newton who was the captain of a slave ship? He was the author of the hymn ‘Amazing Grace.’ On one occasion he wrote in the ship’s log commenting that he had felt particularly close to God on a voyage. Meanwhile, just feet below him, was a human cargo, chained and in darkness.

We cannot judge historical figures by the standards of today. We cannot airbrush history. What we should do is to use such information to paint people as they were and to point out, particularly to children that attitudes change with the passing of time and that all of us, in varying degrees reflect the thought forms of our own times.

Let there be no vandalism or criminal damage in Carmarthenshire.

Rather, let us use the current disquiet to examine our own attitudes towards minorities and ask if, one hundred years from now, our views will be seen as unworthy.

There are bad eggs everywhere but Britain, on the whole, is one of the most tolerant societies on earth and we should be applauding that fact. Revd Mike Shephard Cwmffrwd