[D66] Cameron on Christianity / King James Bible

[Henk Elegeert]

David Cameron on Christianity -
reaction<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16231223?asid=7cba783f>
[image: Choristers at St Paul's Cathedral]

David Cameron called himself a "committed" but "vaguely practising"
Christian

*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".

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?
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.

"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

"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."
British Humanist 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

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."

"

...  the King James Bible, is dat niet het voorbeeld-/bron boek voor 'onze'
Statenbijbel?

Henk Elegeert
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