Skip to main content

A defence of "Christian Britain"

Eric Pickles has written a rather interesting piece in the Daily Telegraph that seeks to defend Britain's Christian ethos :
Christianity in all its forms has shaped the heritage, morality and public life of Britain; and Christian belief continues to influence our society for the better. The fact that Britain has welcomed people of many other faiths to live among us over the centuries in no way detracts from this. Indeed, it is the Christian ethos that has made Britain so welcoming. As the Prime Minister declared in December, we are a Christian nation – and should not be afraid to say so.

Christians continue to be positively involved in public life, from the role of Anglican bishops in scrutinising legislation in the House of Lords, through the moral leadership offered by Christian leaders, to the contribution of thousands of churches and Christian charities to the social fabric of our neighbourhoods with their volunteering and sacrifice. Religion is the foundation of the modern British nation: the Reformation is entwined with British political liberty and freedoms, the King James Bible is embedded in our language and literature, and the popular celebrations of the Royal Wedding and Diamond Jubilee placed the Church side by side with our constitutional monarchy.

Faith communities provide a clear moral compass and a call to action that benefits society as a whole – and the Government is grateful for this. The Coalition has an explicit “integration” strategy to bring communities together. While we should confront extremists who spread hate and division, I believe that mainstream, tolerant religion binds society together.
Interesting comments, especially coming after a week which has seen have spoken out against the discrimination of Christians in Britain. Roger Bolton warned that those in charge of broadcasting suffered from a “suicidal” ignorance about religion. Part of the problem of course is that the institutional church is rather weak. A big problem for Christians in the UK is that the British public's view of God is shaped by the hypocrisy and liberalism of the institutional church. This  makes it difficult for evangelical Christians to evangelise because stereotypes stands in the way of truth. Indeed, unless you belong to the institutional church you are immediately labelled a fundamentalist. The result is that evangelical Christians have come to exist only inside their church walls. They have been in retreat in the face of increasing secularism. Perhaps the seed must die and fall to the ground before it bears much fruit. So we must remain hopeful!   
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Blessing of our Christian Identity

The prospect of my true identity being revealed in Christ on the last day means that I am not faced with the choice of either realizing and actualizing all the aspects of my self now or having them lie dormant forever. My identity can be messy, confusing, and even frustrating to me in the present in a way that does not signal an ultimate or final denial of who I am. By the grace of God I am what I am, and what I shall be has not yet been made known (1 Corinthians 15:10; 1 John 3:2). In a late modern culture that rhymes complete self-expression with authenticity and places a heavy burden on selves to become transparent and fully actualized, I know that as a Christian I need not be crushed by the obligation of having fully to express, or even fully to understand myself here and now. If I remain torn between different identities, if I remain frustrated by who I am until the moment of my death, I know that just like the carnivorous lion who will lie down with the lamb and yet be more lion ...
Post a Comment
KEEP READING →

Christian Unity

I profess myself to be of no party, and to love all of every party who love the Lord our saviour in sincerity. If they preach the truth in love, live as they preach, and are wise and watchful to win souls, and to feed the flock, I care not much whether they are called, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Church men, Kirkmen, or Methodists. I desire to rejoice in their success, on every side. I believe the zealots of all parties, pity or blame me, for my latitudinarian spirit, but the moderate and peaceable of all parties show me kindness.  In some of the great shops in London, there are several counters; and servants at each to attend the customers. If these servants are faithful and have their masters' interest at heart, they will not be jealous of each other, they will not affront the customers by saying 'Why do not you come to be served on my side of the shop? If they are all well served and pleased, it signifies not to which counter they come. Now what are we but servants of...
Post a Comment
KEEP READING →

God Cares for His Work

The usefulness of some is protracted, while others…are taken away early, that those who survive may see that the Lord can carry on His work without them. He who has the fulness of the Spirit will never lack instruments to carry on His work. He can raise them up as it were from the very stones. He can call the most unworthy persons, and bring them from the most unlikely places, to labour in His vineyard. Had it not been so, you would have never heard of me. From what a dung hill of sin and misery did he raise me, to place me among the princes of his people! Consider what I was, and where I was (in Africa) and you must acknowledge I am a singular instance of sovereignty and the riches of His mercy!   JOHN NEWTON  (Source: Wise Counsel, p370)  Newton makes a very good point that the Lord provides for His work. It's very easy for us to think that the work we do depends on us, when in fact everything depends on Him. It is humbling to know that God doesn't need any of us i...
Post a Comment
KEEP READING →