Richard Littledale's
Views on the News: 1 April 2002

Faith in print

For Views in April we have pushed the boundaries of faith and technology to the very limits. The following paragraph sets out the golden promises of the Christian faith for all those who can read them. As you can see (or will be able to, from the first of the month onwards), there follows a description of heaven the like of which you have never seen. It reveals in intricate detail the physical details of the Christian's heavenly dwelling. The bald promise of Jesus of a "room in my father's mansion" is here filled out for you to enjoy. As you pass your mouse over the next section, these words will be legible to all who have sufficient faith to read them:

Were you impressed and moved. Did the glowing description capture your heart and fire your imagination? Or were you disappointed and infuriated? Were you unable to read them? If you were able to read them, Views would like to hear from you - for none were written!

The Christian faith is steadfastly egalitarian. There are no "super-saints", no spiritual giants with special access to God. There is no special kind of faith for those with access to secret knowledge. In fact, the claim of such knowledge was one of the greatest threats to the early church. There is, in the words of the Apostle Paul, " one God and one Lord Jesus Christ, who is over all and in all and through all." Anything less than faith in him is inadequate and dangerous, whilst anything more than faith in him is pretentious folly.

Views applauds the endangered species of the traditional practical joker who can make people smile with ingenious but harmless fun. The spiritual joker, however, is a breed to be avoided at all costs.