Father John Michael Hanvey, who works at the THOMAS Organisation (Those on the Margins of A Society) in Blackburn, was horrified by a documentary called 'Baby Bible Bashers'

Recently I began to watch a documentary called 'Baby Bible Bashers' I could only stomach ten minutes of it.

What I saw was nothing less than an abuse of childhood.

Three different parents force-fed their children as young as 7 with Christian Fundementalism nonsense.

I saw a boy of 7 taken by his father to the heart of Manhattan to preach creationism to people who could hardly contain their laughter.

It was awful to see innocence used and abused by a father who ranted on about sin and sinners and who consigned so many to the flames of hell; with a special place for gay people; probably occupying one of Dante's lowest levels in his 'Inferno', reserved by him for the clergy.

I feel that during a season like Lent we should make an attempt not to trivialise our faith who put our grey cells on hold about our beliefs.

The great medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas wrote 'faith seeking understanding'.

We often give ourselves a kick in the teeth with our trivialisation of our faith and practise.

Being a Roman Catholic Lancastrian by birth brought up on the lives of the English Martyrs who gave their lives for the faith 'ere ancient memories perish', as an old hymn said and just down the road from where I lived as well, gave a serious slant to the faith of our fathers.

Of course many protestant martyrs died for their faith too but for both it was a serious business.

Some of our religious leaders are quite gifted at many ridiculous statements and gestures.

A couple of years ago there were the 'chocks for flocks' goody bags sponsored by a north west bishop, they contained scriptural texts, local clergy contacts, times of services and a Mars bar.

One bishop in the north suggested that last year's floods were a result of God's being angry with homosexual practises.

Why God wasn't more specific with the flooding and targeted Canal Street in Manchester rather than Carlisle and Tewkesbury I don't know.

I was sent a poster from the U.S. promoting vocations for the Roman Catholic priesthood.

It showed a Matrix style tall, dark, handsome guy with designer stubble and shades in a cassock wearing a clerical colla.

Written underneath was 'the Catholic priesthood coming to a parish near you'.

At the beginning of Lent another northern bishop was shown changing a lightbulb for Lent and replacing it with an energy saving one. Ah well!

Men and women died for what we believe today and we owe society and ourselves something better than a simplistic trivialisation of our faith.