There has been much notice taken in the media about an interview that the Prime Minister, David Cameron, reported in the Church Times (April 2014).
In the article, Mr Cameron stated that Christianity could transform the ‘spiritual, physical, and moral’ state of Britain and even the world. He described the United Kingdom as a ‘Christian country’ despite qualifying the comment by saying that we live in an increasingly ‘secular age.’
This article caused apoplexy among the chattering classes, which resulted in 55 intellectuals (writers, broadcasters and the like) to write an open letter to Sunday Telegraph (20 April), claiming that the stance taken by Mr Cameron was a dangerous one because it could cause divisions and they negated the benefits that Christianity had brought to the country. This letter was prompted by the British Humanist association, an organisation which is reluctant to disclose the number of members it has.
The irony that the letter was published on Easter Sunday was obviously lost on the media, in the latest census figures, the number of people identifying themselves as ‘Christian’ had fallen to 59 per cent. However, the increase in those ticking the ‘none’ box does not equate to an increase in the people being atheists or agnostics in their beliefs – it merely means that most people cannot be bothered to think about such issues.
The correspondents were correct in pointing out that
Mr Cameron’s remarks followed those made by his Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, who commented (in his down to earth Yorkshire way) that Britain was a Christian country and those people who moaned about it should ‘get over it.’
In the meantime, Jack Straw, the senior Labour politician (who has held several high profile roles), stated that Muslims should accept that Britain was built on Christian values.
These politicians have been correct in pointing out that Christianity has had a beneficial impact on this nation in so m any ways – prison reform, probation services, hospitals, hospices, schools and the list goes on. It has been claimed that the Great Awakening during the 18th century saved this country from the revolutions that beset many countries on the continent.
There has also been a cultural impact from the paintings and musical pieces that have been inspired by the Bible. There have been many phrases that have entered the English language that were from William Tyndale’s version of Scripture.
Whilst it is accurate to say that people of all religions or beliefs (including those people with none) have contributed to the life of this country, it has been noticeable that Christians have been active in areas before they became popular or have been at the forefront of social action – think of the abolition of slavery in the past, or homelessness and food banks in the present.
It is true to state that people of all religions and beliefs (including those with neither) can speak out on certain issues, it is only Christians who have prophetic voices as they are the only ones who can speak God’s Word into situations. No other religion has such an eternal perspective, using verses like the command of God ‘to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.’ (Micah 6: 8)
There are numerous retellings of the Golden Rule to ‘do unto others as you would have them do to you’ in all sorts of religions and beliefs. However, as Arron Chambers (in Narrow-minded Evangelism: ReThinking Evangelism & the Golden Rule from the Less-Travelled Road) reminds us, Jesus put the command into the eternal context (in Matthew 7: 12) for we are to share the gift of salvation that God has given to us with others, so that they too can walk through the narrow gate. It is when we get our vertical relationship with God straight that we can get our horizontal one with others right at the foot of the cross.
We often forget that we are living in eternity right now because we are so constrained by the concept of time. It is more than the here and now that we should be concerned with, but with the personal acknowledgement of God as our God. It is at this juncture that many of the points made by politicians at the start of this article fall down. Christianity is more than a culture or an influence on society - it is the individual response to God’s invitation to be Lord over that person’s life.
There can never be such a concept as a ‘Christian nation’ as Jesus’ call is to individuals not to groups. In the famous verse of John 3: 16, Jesus tells us that ‘For God so loved the world [groups of people] that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever [individuals] believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ By have the notion of a ‘Christian nation’ is a means of trying to limit God, whereas He is active throughout the world. He has brought people to know Him in militantly Islamic countries (such as Iran and Saudi Arabia), secular nations (such as France) and communist countries (such as China where the number of Christians rose from 60,000 in 1952 to 60 million today).
Whilst the comments by Mr Cameron and others is welcome, we should not be satisfied with looking at the landmarks of past legacies but should want to reach the final destination of knowing God for ourselves.
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