Don't let politicians bully you, Lord Carey warns Christians

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey today accused politicians of trying to bully Christianity out of public life.

He complained of a 'strident and bullying campaign' to marginalise Christianity in the name of political correctness.

Lord Carey said: 'We have reached the point where politicians are mocked for merely expressing their faith.

'I cannot imagine any politician expressing concern that Britain should remain a Christian country. That reticence is a scandal and a disgrace to our history.'

The powerful intervention from the retired Archbishop, who stepped down from Lambeth Palace in 2002, comes in the wake of strongly-expressed criticism of state attempts to sideline Christianity from other senior prelates.

Last month Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu said that Christianity was being pushed out of public life in a 'ferocious and insidious' manner.

Lord Carey has spoken out strongly on a number of controversial matters since his retirement in a way he avoided while serving as the Anglican primate. In particular, he has backed limits to immigration, criticised Islamic theology, and attacked the 'anything goes' philosophy that has led judges to constrain public debate about the bad behaviour of celebrities for the sake of their privacy.

He told a meeting in the House of Lords: 'Christianity, which has given so much to our country, is now being sidelined as never before as though it is a stranger to our nation.'

Lord Carey told Christians to stand up for their faith and to be more assertive when their heritage is attacked.

'If we behave like doormats, don't be surprised if we are treated as though we are,' he said. 'It is time to return to the public square.'

Lord Carey echoed Dr Sentamu's concerns that the rights of Christian schools to teach the basis of their faith is being stripped away.

'This bullying campaign seeks to ban faith schools, despite evidence that faith schools perform better than many others.'

He added: 'It is clear that we must stand up against the marginalising of faith.

'We must constantly remind society of its Christian roots and heritage.'

Lord Carey was addressing a conference run by the Christian Broadcasting Council which highlighted cases of individuals picked on for their Christian faith.

They included teacher Olive Jones who lost her job last year after offering to pray for a 14-year-old cancer patient with whom she was working, and Caroline Petrie, a Somerset nurse suspended for offering to pray for a patient but then reinstated by NHS bosses following a public outcry.

Speakers also cited Gary McFarlane, a Relate counsellor who lost his job after he declined to offer sex therapy to a gay couple.

Olave Snelling, chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Council, said: 'We have the duty of telling the stories of those suffering persecution for their faith overseas and now, it seems, in Great Britain also.

'Pressure is building against Christians in what was once a Christian land.'

Daily Mail