Now, British PM David Cameron brands UK a ‘Christian country’
22 April 2014 5:20 AM IST
More than 50 writers, scientists, broadcasters and academics, including author Philip Pullman, performer Tim Minchin, philosopher AC Grayling and presenter Dan Snow have now signed an open letter objecting to Cameron’s ‘characterisation of Britain as a Christian country’.
In a declaration of his personal beliefs, Cameron recently said he was ‘evangelical’ and believed that Christianity could transform the ‘spiritual, physical and moral’ state of Britain.
Cameron’s push for religion in UK came at a time when latest data released by the Church of England shows it is attracting fewer than 800,000 people to its churches on a typical Sunday mass. Even more worrying is that the number of Christians fell by 4.1 million over 10 years in UK. This decline is fastest among youngsters - 32% of those under 25 saying they had no religious belief.
The group of 50 think the prime minister’s comments risk causing alienation in society.
Lead signatory professor Jim Al-Khalili, president of the British Humanist Association said ‘We object to his characterisation of Britain as a Christian country and the negative consequences for politics and society that this engenders. Apart from in the narrow constitutional sense that we continue to have an established Church, Britain is not a Christian country. Britain is a plural society that was largely non-religious’.
‘Constantly to claim otherwise fosters alienation and division in our society. Most Britons do not want religions or religious identities to be actively prioritised by their elected government,’ the letter concluded.
A recent YouGov poll found 65% of people questioned described themselves as not religious in UK.
The other signatories of the letter said ‘Mr Cameron has gone out of his way to assert that we are a Christian country when the evidence shows we are not. We are a multi-faith society, we are also a no-faith society’.
Interestingly while Cameron had said that Christians should be confident in standing up to defend their values, he did caution that it did not mean ‘doing down other religions’. The PM has earlier too referred to Britain as a Christian country. agencies
In a declaration of his personal beliefs, Cameron recently said he was ‘evangelical’ and believed that Christianity could transform the ‘spiritual, physical and moral’ state of Britain.
Cameron’s push for religion in UK came at a time when latest data released by the Church of England shows it is attracting fewer than 800,000 people to its churches on a typical Sunday mass. Even more worrying is that the number of Christians fell by 4.1 million over 10 years in UK. This decline is fastest among youngsters - 32% of those under 25 saying they had no religious belief.
The group of 50 think the prime minister’s comments risk causing alienation in society.
Lead signatory professor Jim Al-Khalili, president of the British Humanist Association said ‘We object to his characterisation of Britain as a Christian country and the negative consequences for politics and society that this engenders. Apart from in the narrow constitutional sense that we continue to have an established Church, Britain is not a Christian country. Britain is a plural society that was largely non-religious’.
‘Constantly to claim otherwise fosters alienation and division in our society. Most Britons do not want religions or religious identities to be actively prioritised by their elected government,’ the letter concluded.
A recent YouGov poll found 65% of people questioned described themselves as not religious in UK.
The other signatories of the letter said ‘Mr Cameron has gone out of his way to assert that we are a Christian country when the evidence shows we are not. We are a multi-faith society, we are also a no-faith society’.
Interestingly while Cameron had said that Christians should be confident in standing up to defend their values, he did caution that it did not mean ‘doing down other religions’. The PM has earlier too referred to Britain as a Christian country. agencies
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