He finally comments on something I agree with.
Stand up for Christmas, archbishops tell their flock
By Neil Tweedie and Jonathan Petre
(Filed: 19/12/2005)
Political correctness or fear of offending other religions should not be allowed to cloud the fact that Christianity lies at the heart of British culture, the Archbishop of Canterbury and his predecessor said yesterday.
In what appeared to be a co-ordinated pre-Christmas offensive, Dr Rowan Williams and Lord Carey mounted a stout defence of Christianitys place in society.
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They attacked the silly bureaucrats who insisted on banning Christian words and symbols in a misguided attempt to placate Muslims and others.
Their comments coincide with a poll showing that 43 per cent of adults intend to attend church at some time over the festive season, almost a third more than those giving the same answer in 2001.
Dr Williams gave warning that Christmas was in danger of being turned into a secular winter festival through a mixture of political correctness and profit-driven consumerism.
He wrote in the Mail on Sunday: This year there seems to have been even more stories about the banning of Christian images and words by silly bureaucrats.
Its not the Christmas pudding that the authorities will be coming for but the Christmas crib, if some people have their way.
And its all because of a quite wrong-headed idea that our neighbours from other religious traditions will be offended by Christian symbols.
The truth is theyre usually much happier with the idea of a Christian festival than with some general excuse to have a good time in midwinter.
Lord Carey, Dr Williamss predecessor, who retired in 2002, said that Christianity was integral to British society.
If you take the Christian faith out of British identity, what have you got left?
Thats not to say you cant be British and a Jew, or British and a Muslim. Of course Im not saying that. But we are talking about a British identity. The majority of people in this land identify themselves by a common language, by common culture and by the implicitness of the Christian faith itself. Its a very important part of our identity.
Speaking on GMTVs Sunday Programme, he gave warning of creeping political correctness.
There is a view around that practising Christianity and all the symbols that go with it embarrasses people of other faiths; and of course thats nonsense.
Lord Carey raised the case of Sam Morris, the Derbyshire girl sent home for wearing a crucifix because it contravened her schools no-jewellery rule.
Its not jewellery at all. Its an expression of our faith and Im glad that many people have risen up against that and said its nonsense.
It may come from a certain nervousness - maybe its excited by the visibility of Muslims in our country, with some girls wearing burkhas.
The schools decision, he said, appeared to represent a worrying hostility towards Christianity and all religions by a minority of people in leadership who wanted to marginalise religion and create a more secular state like France.<
That would not be the Britain I know, he said. We cant keep faith out of politics or out of public life. Its part of our own identity.<
The Prime Minister, for example, had every right to say that his Christian faith pervaded and influenced all that he did.
I cannot understand how you can be British without having the core faith at the heart of it which is Christianity.
To the legislators I say: Lets apply common sense principles to all our laws and legislation but lets be aware of the rich vein of the Christian faith which runs through our history and laws, culture, literature and so on.