Questionnable Virtues.

The Roman Catholic Church published a report today in which it said that Britain has become a selfish society, citing the lack of ‘neighbourliness’ and ‘good citizenship’ as prime areas of concern. It is true that the ‘greed is good’ years of Thatcher and Blair, and the unflinching decline into an almost wholly free market economy, has encouraged a more selfish and self-centred mindset in the UK. But I have to make a couple of points here.

Firstly, I wonder whether the Catholic Church is the right body to be making such an observation. Obviously I have nothing whatsoever against individual Catholics, but let’s not be afraid to be frank; for nearly two thousand years the Roman Church as an institution has left a legacy of systematic abuse, cruelty and genocide in its wake that is second to none. It makes Vlad the Impaler look like a minor felon in comparison.

What concerns me more, though, are these terms ‘neighbourliness’ and ‘good citizenship.’ They are vague terms that mean different things to different people, and they are easily adulterated and manipulated.

At its best, neighbourliness is, of course, a good thing. But it can, and sometimes does, swing into its negative aspect. It replaces care, compassion and a willingness to help with a narrow minded and spiteful proclivity for petty judgment. I saw it often enough when I was growing up, and I still see it today.

‘Citizenship’ is even worse. What a dreadful term that is. At best it tends to be a cover used to justify the system’s demand for unthinking conformity, and at worst it gets trotted out as a common platitude of the jingoist and the xenophobe.

I am all for criticising this culture; there is a great deal to be critical of. But I think we need to look a bit further than this if we are to address the real nature of what is questionable.