Moreover, behind this vague tendency to treat religion as a side

Christopher Dawson, the historian of faith and culture, spoke with solemn clarity: “Moreover, behind this vague tendency to treat religion as a side issue in modern life, there exists a strong body of opinion that is actively hostile to Christianity and that regards the destruction of positive religion as absolutely necessary to the advance of modern culture.” In these words lies both a lament and a warning. He saw not only the apathy that relegates religion to the margins, but also the fervor of those who believe that to build a new order, the old foundations of faith must be shattered. His voice is the cry of a guardian watching the ancient temple besieged.

The essence of his message is this: societies cannot dismiss faith without consequence, for every culture is rooted in a vision of the sacred. To cast aside Christianity or any positive religion is not merely to change rituals, but to sever the roots of meaning itself. Dawson warns that when culture seeks to advance by destroying faith, it risks building towers upon sand, magnificent in height but doomed to collapse when storms arise.

History provides vivid testimony to his words. Consider the French Revolution, where the zeal to purge faith led to the desecration of altars, the enthronement of Reason as a goddess, and the suppression of the Church. Yet in tearing down the symbols of belief, the people found not freedom but terror, as the guillotine replaced the cross. Culture advanced in science and politics, but without the anchor of religion, it plunged into chaos. Dawson echoes this eternal truth: destruction of the sacred may promise progress, but often yields emptiness and despair.

Yet his words are not merely caution, but also a call to courage. For he reminds believers that they are not merely defending private rituals, but the very soul of civilization. To uphold positive religion is to uphold the idea that life has meaning, that justice flows from something greater than man, and that culture must be guided by light beyond itself. Without this, human achievements risk becoming idols—brilliant, but hollow.

Let this teaching be handed down: the world may tempt us to treat faith as trivial, or even to scorn it as an obstacle to progress. But Dawson reminds us that every age must decide whether it will build upon the eternal or upon the shifting sands. The struggle between hostility and reverence, between destruction and preservation, is as old as humanity itself. And the wisdom of the ancients is this: when religion dies, culture falters; but when faith and culture walk together, both flourish.