Keeping the Faith

Religion has earned a deservedly bad press in recent years, but I worry that in our increasingly secular society we are rejecting far too easily some of the visions and best standards of the Christian faith, which has provided the bedrock of our civilisation for over 2,000 years.

I think it is timely to remind people that a deep religious faith can dramatically change lives for the better, and that it can also sustain individuals and families in times of great suffering and distress. It is equally important to remind ourselves that the misuse and debasement of religion can itself cause immense pain.

I hope that in retelling part of my own story, with fresh insights gained from a long experience of living and working through the upheavals here and elsewhere, I can help other people to understand more about the pressures and realities of a divided society, through the eyes of a young boy who became a journalist and reported on decades of one of the most frightening conflicts in recent Anglo-Irish history. 

Excerpted from Keeping the Faith  by Alf McCreary (pp12-13)