Financial Incentives for Apostasy

The muslims for centuries had the jizya, a special tax enacted on non-muslims. The Anglicans enacted penal laws which included financial penalties to Catholics for practicing the Faith. The natural tendency over the years was for people to abandon the Church founded by Christ and and adopt their oppressors' religion as a way to escape second-class status or worse.

This persecution of Christ's Church was reprehensible, but at least it is understandable that her enemies would act in this way. What is less understandable is why Christians would do this to themselves. For several years now, Germany has had the same kind of policy, providing a financial incentive for people to abandon their faith.

I guess the Devil has found a strategy that seems to work, and is sticking with it.

The Screwtape Letters

Just read that the Screwtape Letters is going to be made into a feature film. I read this book by C.S. Lewis several years ago, during a slow turning back from atheism to the Catholic Faith. It helped. As I remember it, the humor and insight of the book entertains, even while it prods the reader to take a closer look at the ways people can justify their baser impulses. It is written as a series of letters from one demon to a lesser demon, who is trying to corrupt and capture a soul. Amy Schartz wrote a short sequel in the same style. And here is a briefer homage in the form of a single letter.

I imagine a very episodic movie, with a Greek chorus of devilish commentary. It will be interesting to see what the producers decide to do with the story.