The Archbishop of Canterbury has accused the Government of treating all religious believers as oddities and eccentric.
Great blog post (as usual) from the excellent Archbishop Cranmer:-
Labour view faith is an ‘eccentricity’ practised by ‘oddities’
If you have stumbled onto this blog please do take a few moments to read the following piece:- Echoes of GodDr Rowan Williams said ministers were wrong to think that Christian beliefs were no longer relevant in modern Britain and he criticised Labour for looking at religious faith as a “problem” rather than valuing the contribution it made to society.
The Archbishop also suggested that the “political class” was too remote from the concerns of most people, who still had God in their “bloodstream”. In his only interview in the run-up to Christmas, he called on ministers to be more willing to talk about their own beliefs.
Dr Williams told The Daily Telegraph: “The trouble with a lot of Government initiatives about faith is that they assume it is a problem, it’s an eccentricity, it’s practised by oddities, foreigners and minorities.
“The effect is to de-normalise faith, to intensify the perception that faith is not part of our bloodstream. And, you know, in great swaths of the country that’s how it is.”
His comments risked reigniting the public row between the Church of England and Labour over the state’s treatment of faith groups. A Cabinet member was recently forced to deny there was a “secular conspiracy” to silence them.
The Archbishop’s claims that religion was seen only as something for minorities echoed those of a Church-backed report, which accused the Government of paying “lip service” to Christianity while “focusing intently” on Muslims.
Asked if he believed political leaders should be more open about their religious beliefs, the Archbishop replied: “I don’t think it would do any harm at all. I think part of establishing their human credentials is saying, ‘This is where my motivation comes from. I’m in politics because this is what I believe.’ And that includes religious conviction.”
Despite the Church of England’s influence and its position as the established religion in the country, there have been repeated claims in recent years that Labour has tried to keep faith out of the public sphere.
The tendency was summed up by Alastair Campbell when, as spokesman for Tony Blair, the former prime minister, he said: “We don’t do God.”
However, fears over the development of home-grown Islamic terrorism led the Government to pour more than £50 million into projects aimed at preventing radicalisation in mosques.
The Archbishop’s claim that the Government only saw religion as a problem was backed by the Rt Rev Stephen Lowe, the former Bishop of Urban Life. He said: “He’s absolutely on the ball. Religion is seen as being a problem because of the connection between radical Islam and terrorism that has tainted all religions.
“What seems to be forgotten is the contribution of religion in the mainstream to social action. It’s quite clear that within the Government and the Opposition there are people of faith. The problem is that somehow the connection between what they see as their private faith is allowed to marginalise the significance of the contribution of faith communities to the life of this nation.”
In the interview, the Archbishop went on to propose a new “supermarket ombudsman” to protect Britain’s rural economy.
He also dismissed Pope Benedict XVI’s bold invitation for disaffected Anglicans to cross over to Rome as “theologically rather eccentric”, and predicted that few would take up the option because they could not accept papal infallibility.
Tags: Christian Life, News, Politics
December 14th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Daily Mail Columnist Melanie Philips writes in The Daily Mail today page 14.
Just for once, the archbishop is right. Treating Christians as cranks is an act of cultural suicide…
Her article starts…….’The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, comes in for a lot of stick —not least from columnists like me. But in the past few days, he has said something important. He has criticised Government ministers for thinking that the Christian beliefs are no longer relevant in modern Britain and for looking at religion as a ‘problem’….’
To read the full article click on the Daily Mail link below:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1235638/MELANIE-PHILLIPS-Just-Archbishop-right-Treating-Christians-cranks-act-cultural-suicide.html#comments
This follows my email to you a couple of days ago on the same subject….bringing your attention to the Archbishops original article in last Friday’s Daily Telegraph:
At long last the Archbishop of Canterbury defends the Christian faith in the UK. If you missed his piece in the DT yesterday it is well worth reading…
The Daily Telegraph Article on Friday 11 December 2009 read:
Archbishop of Canterbury: ‘Labour treats us like oddballs’
The Archbishop of Canterbury has accused the Government of treating all religious believers as “oddities” and “eccentric”.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/6792088/Archbishop-of-Canterbury-Labour-treats-us-like-oddballs.html
A few weeks ago I commented on a national ‘academic’ newspaper blog; whose writers and ‘bloggers’ queue up to attack the Christian faith on a regular basis:
‘Christianphobia is alive and kicking in the UK today not Islamophobia, not Hinduphobia, not Jewishphobia, not Buddaphobia, not newagephobia, not harrykrishna, not scientologyphobia, not mormonphobia, not jehovaswitnessphobia, not newfalsegreenreligion/climatechangephobia or any other religious phobia; in the UK today: No just CHRISTIANPHOBIA.
Funny isn’t it why only Christianity and Christians are the targets of the aggressive ‘new atheists’, humanists and secular left wing academics.
Is it because Christians are easy targets and don’t fight back?
Maybe it is because Jesus is the way the truth and the life; and deep down the persecutors know it and they despise the light of Jesus so they do their best to ridicule and persecute the Christians and try and put out the light that shines on their lives…but the darker this nation becomes the brighter the light of Jesus shines; those that live in darkness hate the light.’
Matthew Chapter 5 verse 14: ‘You are the light that gives light to the world. A city that is built on a hill that cannot be hidden’
John Chapter 8 verse 12 ” I am the light of the world. The person who follows me will never live in darkness but will have the light that gives life”.
Merry Christmas to you all, as we welcome the light of Jesus into the world; including Great Britain!
With Christian blessings
Simon Icke
UK
December 19th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
QUESTION: WHAT IS CHRISTIANPHOBIA?
In many parts of the UK there is a new aggressive atheism that for the last decade has been sweeping all areas of UK society. It is being led by a number of aggressive academic atheists; who are encouraging the persecution, ridicule and mocking of Christianity and Christians. Their ultimate aim is to eradicate Christianity from all parts of society, including Education, Government departments mainstream media; TV, Radio etc. These atheists have created an environment where it is a fun sport to bully Christians and intimidate them if they dare to declare their Christian faith publicly especially in the work place or in public life. This attitude towards persecuting Christians is now known as Christianphobia.
I wrote about the Christianphobia recently on a British national academic newspaper blog who’s atheistic writers see the ridicule of Christians and Christianity as the new popular ‘sport’ of their daily current affairs blog.
The threads that these writers create ( with the full support of the newspaper) always prove very popular for atheists, humanists and trendy left wing liberals who queue up to show their unbridled hatred for Christianity and the ‘fools’ that have a Christian faith. They show no respect for Christians or their faith often attacking them in a personal way in order to undermine any counter views/ beliefs but their own; what could be classed as extreme arrogance.
The ‘new atheist’ try and perpetuate the myth that you cannot be a scientist or an academic and at the same time be a Christian. They conclude that all people who are Christians must have inferior intelligence and some kind of weakness or flaw in their makeup, they truly believe the new atheists have superior intelligence; some claim they are the ‘enlightened ones’. They have created a new fundamentalist atheism, which is just as intolerant as any type of the worst examples of religious or political fanaticism. Their aim is to undermine or destroy Christianity where ever they find it in public life and turn others against the Christian faith; this behaviour/ attitude has become known as Christianphobia.
‘Christianphobia is alive and kicking in the UK today not Islamophobia, not Hinduphobia, not Jewishphobia, not Buddaphobia, not newagephobia, not harrykrishna, not scientologyphobia, not mormonphobia, not jehovaswitnessphobia, not newfalsegreenreligion/climatechangephobia or any other religious phobia; in the UK today: NO! JUST CHRISTIANPHOBIA.
Funny isn’t it why only Christianity and Christians are the targets of the aggressive ‘new atheists’, humanists and secular academic trendies.
Is it because Christians are easy targets and don’t fight back?
Maybe it is because Jesus is the way the truth and the life; and deep down the persecutors know it and they despise the light of Jesus so they do their best to ridicule and persecute the Christians and try and put out the light that shines on their live’s; the darker this nation becomes the brighter the light of Jesus shines.
‘Some people say there is no God yet spend a life time hating and blaming Him for everything that is wrong; don’t you find that really odd?’
I wonder why angry atheists spend so much time trying to show everyone just how superior they are to those foolish stupid people that have faith: I wonder if they would have said the same to great men like William Wilberforce, C.S. Lewis and many other Christians throughout history who have made such a positive difference to millions of peoples’ lives. One of the greatest human qualities I value in people, that I have met from all walks of life in my 54 interesting years on this earth is; humility. Sadly it is always missing from the, ‘know- it -all’, academic atheists who can never be wrong and seem to be so full of their own self importance.
I can only pray that one day that all unbelievers will have their own Saul experience… on their own Road to Damascus..
NIV Acts Chapter 9 V 1-19
Begins with… “Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ” Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
” Who are you, Lord? ” Saul asked.
” I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,”
These personal opinions/views are based on my own experience of debating on many political forums known as blogs and what has been written in UK’s national newspapers, and observations of the New Labour Government’s policies over the last decade or more. I have also closely followed key political debates in the UK Parliament; especially on moral issues.
Written by Simon Icke UK. 17. December 2009.
Christian political writer, campaigner and poet.
You might be interested in a new book aimed at the academic atheists by Professor Edgar Andrews who is also an academic and a scientist and has just published his book WHO MADE GOD? Published by E.P. books October 2009.