Letter: St Patrick's Day should be a time of remembrance and a dignified pause to reflect but has instead become a carnival

It’s much more difficult now in this ‘Enlightened Age’ where people claim to be Christians but have no knowledge of the truth. People pay lip-service to Christianity, not because they believe it, it might be right! They will tolerate a god, on their terms, as long as He doesn’t make demands, He has to be prepared to compromise. If He knows His place they’ll accommodate Him.

You can see that in areas like abortion and same sex marriage where He doesn’t fit in, and has to work round them.

As they dress up as leprechauns, parade, and drink their green beer, they have reduced Patrick to a comic book character. In the middle of all the shenanigans do they even consider Patrick and his message? If Patrick came back to-day he would have to make a fresh start. Sometimes starting over is much more difficult than starting from scratch. He would be speaking to people, in both communities, who have heard of Jesus, believe he was a good man, even a prophet. To suggest he was the Son of God would cause problems. He would have to introduce them to that, and tread softly.

Patrick would be speaking to people who believe, but have adjusted his message, and believe what they want to believe, that doesn’t make it the truth. Both communities don’t want to be overburdened with the truth, but they like a parade. Like Pontius Pilate they would stop supping and ask ‘what is truth?’

Yes, Patrick would have his work cut out for him. In his day he was speaking to people who knew nothing of the truth, now they know enough to reject it, or rework it on their terms. Many of these people have robbed God of His day and desecrated it. Now they are marching to remember his servant who honoured it, and don’t see the contradiction.

The apostle John, who was an eyewitness, wrote, “this book is written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God”

How many of those on parade believe that? Mary said “whatever He tells you to do, do it". There is not much evidence of that, in both communities.

As the Irish parade, and Ulster Scots are joining in, truth is distorted. What should be a day of remembrance, and a dignified pause to reflect, has become a carnival. I firmly believe that if Patrick came back he would see the contradiction, call it out, and rekindle that holy flame on Mount Slemish.

Clive Maxwell, Bleary