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I watched some of the Olympic opening ceremony, quite by accident, when visiting a relative who owns a television. What do the kids say these days? - "it creeped me out". Are these the solemn rituals of the new world religion? Weird.
Strikingly absent from the historical narrative of England's experience was the single most important thing that ever happened to the British Isles: Christianity. It's amazing when you think about it. Every triviality qualifies for inclusion, but not the faith everyone is afraid of these days, the faith that not only shaped the history and people of Great Britain, but the entire English-speaking world including the United States.
America is America because - and only because - Britannia was Christianized.
So, the English and indeed the entire western world are ditching God, renouncing their Christian heritage, and erecting some strange (and obscenely expensive) neo-pagan worldwide cult to fill the void. Something new is definitely emerging across the pond. Whatever it is, it certainly isn't English, nor is it anything the world has ever seen.
Actually, had they wished to spotlight religion specific to Britain, and not the neo-religion imported from the Middle East, it would have showcased Paganism -- first, the indigenous beliefs, then those of the Roman invaders, ending with the beliefs of the invading Norse and Anglo-Saxons.
Paganism existed in Britain for thousands of years, compared to the mere 600-700-year presence of Christianity there. It endures to this day in many cathedrals, monuments, festivals, and place names.
OP, please google Olympic Opening ceremonies and "Jerusalem" and/or "Abide with Me."
I don't know about your church, but I know where to find both of these in our hymnals.
Elizabethan Britain, when exploration was ramping up, would have made the average US fundamentalist Bible belt town look tepid in terms of religiosity. Most of the sea dogs like Sir Francis Drake were devout Protestants. OP is correct that there was no greater influence on Brit history than Protestantism. To compare it to the impact of pre-Christian paganism, druidism, etc. is silly.
Although I am not a Christian, I can't deny the history. I think it has much to do with why the Anglosphere today, including UK, US, Canada, Aus, and NZ are among the most sought destinations for people who decide to pull up roots and emigrate.
That said I don't know why it is necessary to mix sport & religion.
Correction the single most important thing that happened to the England, and through them Britain is that they were Romanized. Christianity was just one part of that. Though to be fair most of the good ideas about government (e.g. trial by jury, legislatures, and an independent judiciary) came from non-Christian sources like the Norse and Ancient Rome, and most of the bad ideas about government (e.g. a strong Monarchy) came from Christian sources.
That said I don't know why it is necessary to mix sport & religion.
Religion, as the highest motive for human action, is mixed with everything. The attempt to extricate Christianity from public life only invites new and willing substitutes.
I'm sure you are well aware of the pagan religious origins of the Olympic games. Christian Emperor Theodosius I banned the Olympics in 393 A.D. due to the diabolical brutality, cruelty, and barbarism of the events, which included ritualistic human sacrifices to pagan deities. Not very tolerant or ecumenical, that narrow-minded Theodosius.
(In our time, the emergence of "extreme" sports together with the de-Christianizing of society is no coincidence.)
On the other hand, Pope St. Pius X, in 1908, not only lent his support to the now-reformed Olympics in London, but personally launched a revival of athletics in the Christian world when only 1 percent of the population participated in organized sports.
"I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure." - Eric Liddell
Personally I believe the best thing to happen in fair Albion was the Druids ...
Christianity was part of it's downfall.
Agreed. They probably invented whisky first, despite what those monks said.
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