Thursday, November 03, 2011

Giles Fraser, former Canon Chancellor of St Paul's cathedral, has his own agent

Disappointed to learn in yesterday's Guardian that Giles Fraser, former Canon Chancellor of St Paul's cathedral, has his own agent (as if he were a football star or an X-Factor winner).

Does that explain why, when the protesters started to wander down from Paternoster Square to the front of St Paul's and the police looked as if they were going to keep them moving, Canon Fraser rushed forward to be "provocative" and "controversial" and all the other things his agent must be urging him to be?  Was a desire for headlines behind his impetuous statements on that day when he ordered the police off the steps of the cathedral?  Has the Chapter of St Paul's and the diocese of London been plunged into chaos to advance Giles Fraser's media career?

The cult of celebrity corrupts every part of modern society.  Previously limited to the entertainment industry, we now have celebrities in every conceivable walk of life (cooks, lawyers, historians etc).  Even, it seems, celebrity vicars.

The worship of celebrities corresponds to the veneration of idols in a pre-modern pagan society.  Often celebrities are openly described (without irony) as idols.  Often commentators such as Marina Hyde (who perhaps aspires to celebrity status herself ) openly describe themselves as "pagan".

The Church of England is still Established in England.  This is still officially a Christian country.  But if it is going to regress to a pagan society, has anyone given any thought as to what that pagan society is going to look like?

Will it be deadly dull earnest debates at Kings Place with Richard Dawkins pontificating about the new humanist ascendancy? 

Or will we have animal sacrifices on top of Parliament Hill (I am assuming human sacrifices will not be allowed); entrails consulted before important decisions; continuous teenage vampire dramas on TV etc?

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