Sermon on the Mound

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Margaret Thatcher (1988)

Sermon on the Mound is a well-known speech of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher , who on May 21, 1988 before the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh , Scotland has maintained. The embossed by the media English name Sermon on the Mound alludes to the Sermon on the Mount (Sermon on the Mount) Jesus Christ on. Mound refers to the artificial hill in the center of the city of Edinburgh, on which the assembly hall is located, in which Thatcher gave her speech. However, the speaker protested against this play on words.

context

View from the hilltop terrace of the Mound onto Princes Street in Edinburgh

Margaret Thatcher's third and final term lasted from 1987 to 1990. This period was characterized by many political and economic changes, for example a reform of the national health service. Rapid economic growth caused interest rates to double in 1988 when Thatcher gave her speech. That is why the Chancellor of the Exchequer Nigel Lawson wanted to force Great Britain to join the European Monetary System (EMS), which Thatcher did not agree with. This led to the resignation of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The Christian faith in one of its Protestant forms is mainly represented in Scotland by the Church of Scotland, an independent Presbyterian church. A law passed in 1707 established the freedoms of the Scottish Church and its separation from the state. Despite its established position, the Church of Scotland offers the possibility of a pluralistic interpretation of the Christian faith and thus makes an essential contribution to the national self-confidence of the Scots. The General Assembly (General Assembly of the Church of Scotland) has served, due to its openness to other denominations and religions as well as different opinions, in recent history as a place for many speeches and sermons, including the "Sermon on the Mound" Margaret Thatcher . The general assembly is still a place for public speeches.

Margaret Thatcher's rhetoric is characterized, among other things, by the frequent inclusion of religious aspects. During her three terms as Prime Minister, she incorporated aspects of the Old Testament in her speeches on the UK, more than any other UK government leader before her . The speeches, shaped by spiritual values, became a trademark of Thatcher. She also took a clear position on the church, demanding that the church support the state and work for the orderly enforcement of the law.

content

Margaret Thatcher emphasized at the beginning of her speech that she wanted to speak not only as a politician, but also as a Christian . For them, the characteristic features of the Christian faith lie in three points: First, that God has endowed everyone with the ability to choose between good and evil. Second, as the likeness of God, people could make this decision based on their own thoughts and judgment. And third, when faced with this choice, Jesus Christ chose to give his life so that our sins might be forgiven.

Thatcher claimed that by believing in the Old and New Testaments one developed a certain  perspective of the universe , a decent work ethic, and principles for shaping economic and social life. One should work and use one's talents to create wealth . Thatcher mentioned the statement of the apostle Paul in his 2nd letter to the Thessalonians : "If a man doesn't want to work, he shouldn't eat either". Nevertheless, in connection with the tenth commandment , she emphasizes that the possession of objects and money leads to selfishness. It depends on what you do with your wealth.  

The Prime Minister interpreted the biblical idea "love your neighbor as yourself" as a call to society to demand the best possible performance from each individual, and underlined the individual responsibility of citizens in their actions. In this regard, she denied the possible effects of any social framework conditions and emphasized the cautious role that the state has to play in fulfilling the aspirations of the citizens. While it is important to help those who need help, in principle it is up to everyone to look after their own families.

Margaret Thatcher justified the importance of religious education in schools with the historical proximity between church and state . Since the beginning, religion has been so closely linked to politics, society and culture that a comprehensive knowledge of the Christian-Jewish traditions and principles is essential for an understanding of the nation and its peculiarities. In the discourse, Thatcher further emphasizes the importance of tolerance, which is one of the fundamental principles of the Christian faith, and at the same time refers to the open and respectful interaction with other religions and cultures in the history of the country.

Thatcher emphasized that the idea of democracy does not appear in the Bible and that Christians should act in the spirit of the Holy Spirit rather than the opinion of the majority . Nevertheless, she is a staunch democrat. The point is that the church should not intervene in politics, but should support society in its values.

At the end of her speech, the Prime Minister quoted a few verses from the hymn I Vow to Thee, My Country , which, for example , was criticized in 2004 by the suffragan bishop of Hulm, Stephen Lowe , for its content. He found the first stanzas in particular to be nationalistic and said the hymn to direct the Christian focus away from God and towards the state.

effect

Immediately after her speech, the moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland presented Thatcher with recent Church reports on poverty, housing and a fair social system. This can be understood as Thatcher's reprimand. In 1990, Thatcher and her Scottish Conservatives party only achieved 34% approval among Church of Scotland members.

At a celebration to commemorate Margaret Thatcher's speech in 2002, a Scottish MP from her party said that prior to her speech it had been assumed that Christians belonged to the left political spectrum and that Thatcher had caused a "seismic shock".

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Margaret Thatcher's 'Sermon on the Mound'. Retrieved April 12, 2019 .
  2. ↑ Kirk Moderator: Thatcher's 'Sermon on the Mound' couldn't be made today. Retrieved April 12, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Interview for Scotland on Sunday | Margaret Thatcher Foundation. Retrieved April 12, 2019 .
  4. ↑ a b Peter Childs: Texts. Contemporary Cultural Texts and Critical Approaches . Edinburgh University Press, 2006, ISBN 978-0-7486-2043-2 , pp. 96 .
  5. ↑ Grace Davie: Religion in Britain. A persistent paradox . 2nd Edition. Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester 2015, ISBN 978-1-4051-3595-5 , pp. 100 .
  6. ^ Speech to General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Margaret Thatcher Foundation, accessed April 12, 2019 .
  7. ↑ Peter Childs: Texts. Contemporary Cultural Texts and Critical Approaches . Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 2006, ISBN 978-0-7486-2043-2 , pp. 99-100 .
  8. ↑ Grace Davie: Religion in Britain. A persistent paradox . 2nd Edition. Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester 2015, ISBN 978-1-4051-3595-5 , pp. 34 .
  9. ^ David Stewart: The Path to Devolution and Change. A Political History of Scotland Under Margaret Thatcher . Tauris, London / New York 2009, ISBN 978-1-84511-938-6 , pp. 210 .
  10. ↑ Peter Childs: Texts. Contemporary Cultural Text and Critical Approaches . Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 2006, ISBN 978-0-7486-2043-2 , pp. 102 .