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| David Cameron on Christianity - reaction | David Cameron on Christianity - reaction |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Prime Minister David Cameron has said the UK is a Christian country "and we should not be afraid to say so" in a speech in Oxford on the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. | Prime Minister David Cameron has said the UK is a Christian country "and we should not be afraid to say so" in a speech in Oxford on the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. |
| The PM said it was wrong to suggest that standing up for Christianity was "somehow doing down other faiths". | The PM said it was wrong to suggest that standing up for Christianity was "somehow doing down other faiths". |
| And he staunchly defended the role of religion in politics and said the Bible in particular was crucial to British values. | And he staunchly defended the role of religion in politics and said the Bible in particular was crucial to British values. |
| But how have the comments been received across the UK? | But how have the comments been received across the UK? |
President of the National Secular Society, Terry Sanderson | President of the National Secular Society, Terry Sanderson |
| "Mr Cameron's promotion of faith for other people when his own is so wishy-washy is typical of a politician who thinks religion is a useful means of social control. But you cannot force people to believe what they have reasoned to be untrue. Nor will they be convinced that religion is the only route to morality. The daily headlines from around the world have shown that religion can be a thousand times more destructive than any rioter in Tottenham. | "Mr Cameron's promotion of faith for other people when his own is so wishy-washy is typical of a politician who thinks religion is a useful means of social control. But you cannot force people to believe what they have reasoned to be untrue. Nor will they be convinced that religion is the only route to morality. The daily headlines from around the world have shown that religion can be a thousand times more destructive than any rioter in Tottenham. |
| "The British Social Attitudes Survey published last week showed that 65% of young people in Britain don't have a religion - and they aren't going to be forced to have one. The report ended with a warning to politicians that trying to use religion as a political tool would likely damage them at the ballot box. It seems the Prime Minister is going to learn that lesson the hard way." | "The British Social Attitudes Survey published last week showed that 65% of young people in Britain don't have a religion - and they aren't going to be forced to have one. The report ended with a warning to politicians that trying to use religion as a political tool would likely damage them at the ballot box. It seems the Prime Minister is going to learn that lesson the hard way." |
Former Conservative minister Michael Portillo | Former Conservative minister Michael Portillo |
| "If any prime minister up to and including, Edward Heath [and] Margaret Thatcher, had not said this is a Christian country, people would have been absolutely amazed. We all know the classic cases of political correctness that you are not allowed to mention Christmas, and cards that you send out at this time of the year must not mention Christmas and things like this. | "If any prime minister up to and including, Edward Heath [and] Margaret Thatcher, had not said this is a Christian country, people would have been absolutely amazed. We all know the classic cases of political correctness that you are not allowed to mention Christmas, and cards that you send out at this time of the year must not mention Christmas and things like this. |
| "I mean, absolute nonsense. So, as though my Jewish friends would not send out new year's cards at the time of their new year. Quite extraordinary." | "I mean, absolute nonsense. So, as though my Jewish friends would not send out new year's cards at the time of their new year. Quite extraordinary." |
id="heading-1-2">Vice-chairman | id="heading-1-2">BritishHumanist Association chief executive Andrew Copson |
| "As a simple factual statement what the prime minister said is incorrect - only a minority of people in Britain are practising Christians and over half of the population sees itself as non-religious according to the latest British Social Attitudes survey. | |
| "The most hopeful political reading of his speech is that Mr Cameron doesn't really mean it and that his statements are intended as a way to pacify the increasingly strident lobbying of a minority of Christians for more influence in our public life and greater privilege for those with Christian beliefs. | |
| "Most concerning would be if the prime minister were serious. A politician and a government that tried to make Christianity and Christian beliefs the foundation of British values or a social morality would be building on seriously unstable foundations. All the evidence is that religion makes no difference in terms of a person's social and moral behaviour." | |
BBC News website readers | BBC News website readers |
| Bob: "As an atheist I was initially enraged my Cameron's comments, but upon closer inspection I have to agree with him. The UK is indeed mostly Christian. However, so long as ALL faiths continue to be examined and discussed in CoE schools, I can't complain. My children can choose for themselves what they want to believe. The only thing we preach in our household is tolerance." | Bob: "As an atheist I was initially enraged my Cameron's comments, but upon closer inspection I have to agree with him. The UK is indeed mostly Christian. However, so long as ALL faiths continue to be examined and discussed in CoE schools, I can't complain. My children can choose for themselves what they want to believe. The only thing we preach in our household is tolerance." |
| Esoxhunter: "Forty years ago I was taught RE in a secondary school. It was the Christian faith we discussed. Though I cannot claim to be a Christian, much of what I was taught has been useful in my adult life. The value system of honesty, belief in right and wrong, of standing up for what you believe in and much more works today, as it did then. The only trouble is that RE isn't taught like that now. It's not PC." | Esoxhunter: "Forty years ago I was taught RE in a secondary school. It was the Christian faith we discussed. Though I cannot claim to be a Christian, much of what I was taught has been useful in my adult life. The value system of honesty, belief in right and wrong, of standing up for what you believe in and much more works today, as it did then. The only trouble is that RE isn't taught like that now. It's not PC." |