BRITAIN'S CHRISTIANS ARE BEING VILIFIED, WARNS LORD CAREY

This article is published in today's Daily Telegraph:

Britain's Christians are being vilified, warns Lord Carey

By John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor

Lord Carey says worshippers are being “vilified” by the state, treated as “bigots” and sacked simply for expressing their beliefs.

The attack is part of a direct appeal to the European Court of Human Rights before a landmark case on religious freedom.

In a written submission seen by The Daily Telegraph, the former leader of more than 70 million Anglicans warns that the outward expression of traditional conservative Christian values has effectively been “banned” in Britain under a new “secular conformity of belief and conduct”.

His comments represent one of the strongest attacks on the impartiality of Britain’s judiciary from a religious leader.

He says Christians will face a “religious bar” to employment if rulings against wearing crosses and expressing their beliefs are not reversed.

Lord Carey argues that in “case after case” British courts have failed to protect Christian values. He urges European judges to correct the balance.

The hearing, due to start in Strasbourg on Sept 4, will deal with the case of two workers forced out of their jobs over the wearing of crosses as a visible manifestation of their faith. It will also take in the cases of Gary McFarlane, a counsellor sacked for saying that he may not be comfortable in giving sex therapy to homosexual couples, and a Christian registrar, who wishes not to conduct civil partnership ceremonies.

Lord Carey, who was archbishop from 1991 to 2002, warns of a “drive to remove Judaeo-Christian values from the public square”. Courts in Britain have “consistently applied equality law to discriminate against Christians”.

They show a “crude” misunderstanding of the faith by treating some believers as “bigots”. He writes: “In a country where Christians can be sacked for manifesting their faith, are vilified by State bodies, are in fear of reprisal or even arrest for expressing their views on sexual ethics, something is very wrong.

“It affects the moral and ethical compass of the United Kingdom. Christians are excluded from many sectors of employment simply because of their beliefs; beliefs which are not contrary to the public good.”

He outlines a string of cases in which he argues that British judges have used a strict reading of equality law to strip the legally established right to freedom of religion of “any substantive effect”.

“It is now Christians who are persecuted; often sought out and framed by homosexual activists,” he says. “Christians are driven underground. There appears to be a clear animus to the Christian faith and to Judaeo-Christian values. Clearly the courts of the United Kingdom require guidance.”

He says the human rights campaign has gone too far and become a political agenda.

Keith Porteous-Wood, executive director of the National Secular Society, said: “The idea that there is any kind of suppression of religion in Britain is ridiculous.

“Even in the European Convention on Human Rights, the right to religious freedom is not absolute – it is not a licence to trample on the rights of others. That seems to be what Lord Carey wants to do.”

For another take on this story, see Martin Robbin's "Lay Scientist" column in today's Guardian: Lord Carey is a bigger threat to British Christians than any secularist

WE STAND SIDE BY SIDE WITH THE POPE IN FIGHTING FOR FAITH

This article appears in today's Daily Telegraph:

We stand side by side with the Pope in fighting for faith

Britain’s delegation to Rome takes a message of religious confidence that should ring out beyond the Vatican walls , writes Baroness Warsi.

Today I have the honour of leading the largest ministerial delegation from the United Kingdom to the Vatican – our reciprocal visit following the momentous State Visit of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI in September 2010.

We will be celebrating the decision Margaret Thatcher took 30 years ago to restore full diplomatic relations between our countries. The relationship between the UK and the Holy See is our oldest diplomatic relationship, first established in 1479. And today, thanks to the great success of the Pope’s visit, it is one of the strongest too.

But this trip is about more than a Valentine’s Day “love in” with our Catholic neighbours. This is about recognising the deep and intrinsic role of faith here in Britain and overseas. For a number of years I have been saying that we need to have a better understanding of faith in our country. Why? Because I profoundly believe that faith has a vital and important role to play in modern society. But mistakenly, faith has been neglected, undermined – and yes, even attacked – by governments in recent years.

When I met the Holy Father in 2010 he told me that he had heard what I had been saying and urged me to carry on making my case robustly. So today, I am taking a renewed message to the Vatican City; one which I want to ring out beyond the Vatican walls.

I will be arguing that to create a more just society, people need to feel stronger in their religious identities and more confident in their creeds. In practice this means individuals not diluting their faiths and nations not denying their religious heritages.

This is a message I’ve delivered on these pages before. But today I will be taking the argument one step further. I will be arguing for Europe to become more confident and more comfortable in its Christianity. The point is this: the societies we live in, the cultures we have created, the values we hold and the things we fight for all stem from centuries of discussion, dissent and belief in Christianity.These values shine through our politics, our public life, our culture, our economics, our language and our architecture. And, as I will say today, you cannot and should not extract these Christian foundations from the evolution of our nations any more than you can or should erase the spires from our landscapes.

My fear today is that a militant secularisation is taking hold of our societies. We see it in any number of things: when signs of religion cannot be displayed or worn in government buildings; when states won’t fund faith schools; and where religion is sidelined, marginalised and downgraded in the public sphere.

It seems astonishing to me that those who wrote the European Constitution made no mention of God or Christianity. When I denounced this tendency two days before the Holy Father’s State Visit in September 2010, saying that government should “do God”, I received countless messages of support. The overwhelming message was: “At last someone has said it”.

That so many people felt moved to write showed just how uneasy they were at the rising tide of secularism.

For me, one of the most worrying aspects about this militant secularisation is that at its core and in its instincts it is deeply intolerant. It demonstrates similar traits to totalitarian regimes – denying people the right to a religious identity because they were frightened of the concept of multiple identities.

That’s why in the 20th century, one of the first acts of totalitarian regimes was the targeting of organised religion.

Of course there is a crucial caveat to all of this. I am not calling for some kind of 21st century theocracy. Religious faith and its followers do not have the only answer. There will be times when politicians and faith leaders will disagree. What is more, secularism is not intrinsically damaging. My concern is when secularisation is pushed to an extreme, when it requires the complete removal of faith from the public sphere. So I am calling for a more open confidence in faith, where faith has a place at the table, though not an exclusive position.

When we look at the deep distrust between some communities today, there is no doubt that faith has a key role to play in bridging these divides. If people understand that accepting a person of another faith isn’t a threat to their own, they can unite in fighting bigotry and work together to create a more just world.

All the major religions ask their followers to stand up for their neighbours. Doing so doesn’t make you less of a Christian, less of a Jew, less of a Muslim – it makes you more of one.

So when I have my second audience with the Holy Father tomorrow afternoon, I will not just be looking back on his remarkable visit. I will be giving him my absolute commitment to continue fighting for faith in today’s society. I hope this is something we can share in and I hope it reinforces this extraordinary relationship between the UK and the Holy See.

BRITAIN BEING OVERTAKEN BY "MILITANT SECULARISTS"

This article appears on the front page of today's Daily Telegraph:

Britain being overtaken by "militant secularists"

Tory Chairman Baroness Warsi says we should defend the role of religion in public life

British society is under threat from the rising tide of “militant secularisation” reminiscent of “totalitarian regimes”, a Cabinet minister will warn on Tuesday.

In an historic visit to the Vatican, Baroness Warsi will express her “fear” about the marginalisation of religion throughout Britain and Europe, saying that faith needs “a seat at the table in public life”.

In an article for The Daily Telegraph, the Cabinet Office minister says that to create a “more just society” Britons must “feel stronger in their religious identities”.

The minister, who is also chairman of the Conservative Party, says: “My fear today is that a militant secularisation is taking hold of our societies. We see it in any number of things: when signs of religion cannot be displayed or worn in government buildings; and where religion is sidelined, marginalised and downgraded in the public sphere.

“For me, one of the most worrying aspects about this militant secularisation is that at its core and in its instincts it is deeply intolerant. It demonstrates similar traits to totalitarian regimes – denying people the right to a religious identity because they were frightened of the concept of multiple identities.”

Baroness Warsi leads an unprecedented government delegation to the Vatican where she will be received by Pope Benedict for a private audience on Wednesday.

She will be the first foreign minister to deliver an address to the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, which trains Papal diplomats, and the party will stay in the Santa Marta, an official residence in the Vatican for visiting cardinals.

The visit, to mark the 30th anniversary of the re-establishment of full diplomatic ties between Britain and the Vatican, follows the Pope’s successful visit to Britain in 2010 when he is said to have been impressed by the Government’s outspoken defence of the importance of religion in public life.

The speech represents one of the most strident defences of the importance of religion by a serving British minister. It comes days after the High Court ruled that local councils could not hold prayers during meetings. There have also been recent cases of public sector workers being banned from displaying Christian symbols at work.

David Cameron welcomed the visit. He said: “Our relationship with the Holy See is an important one and it speaks powerfully of the positive contribution faith can make to all societies.

“Sayeeda Warsi has consistently made the case for a deeper understanding of faith by the British Government so I am delighted that she will be taking this message to the Vatican personally.”

In the speech, Baroness Warsi, the country’s first female Muslim Cabinet minister, is expected to draw strongly on her background to illustrate the importance of religion. She grew up in a Northern mill town where Christian values were important during her youth. The minister has decided to send her own daughter to a Christian school.

The Conservative chairman will say that Christianity is a vital part of British life and warns of the dangers of eroding its importance.

“You cannot extract Christian foundations from the evolution of our nations any more than you can erase the spires from our landscape,” she will say in her speech.

“I see a great danger to this confident affirmation of religion today. It is what the Holy Father called the 'increasing marginalisation of religion’ during his speech in Westminster Hall. I see it in the United Kingdom and I see it in Europe. Spirituality, suppressed. Divinity, downgraded.

“Where, in the words of the Archbishop of Canterbury, faith is looked down as the hobby of 'oddities, foreigners and minorities’. Where religion is dismissed as an eccentricity because it’s infused with tradition.”

However, Baroness Warsi will call for a more robust discussion between people of different faiths. She says that faith has a “key role” in bridging divides. She will say: “Interfaith dialogue works when we debate our differences, when we wear our beliefs on our sleeves. It’s not about you giving your version of God, and me giving my version of God. And us coming to some watered-down compromise.”

In her speech, the peer will urge that European countries need to be “more confident” about the role of Christianity.

“Our continent needs the zeal of a convert,” she will say. “Not from discovering something new but rediscovering something which has underpinned our civilisations for centuries.”

Last year, the Prime Minister made a flagship speech on the importance of faith. However, the Archbishop of Canterbury has been highly critical of some aspects of Coalition policy, particularly government cuts, prompting criticism by some ministers.

In her article for The Daily Telegraph, Baroness Warsi makes it clear she is not calling for religious leaders to have the final say on government and social matters.

She says: “I am not calling for some kind of 21st century theocracy. Religious faith and its followers do not have the only answer. There will be times when politicians and faith leaders will disagree. What is more, secularism is not intrinsically damaging. My concern is when secularisation is pushed to an extreme, when it requires the complete removal of faith from the public sphere.

“I am calling for a more open confidence in faith, where faith has a place at the table, though not an exclusive position.”

Seven ministers including Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary, Owen Paterson, the Northern Ireland Secretary and Michael Moore, the Scottish Secretary, travel to the Vatican on Tuesday. They will be joined by the Archbishop of Westminster. They will meet Holy See officials on Wednesday to discuss issues including human rights and international development.

The delegation will then be received by Pope Benedict XVI — an honour not normally accorded those who are not heads of state or government.

It comes as a report conducted for the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science (UK) suggested that almost three quarters (74 per cent) of Christians polled agreed that religion should not influence public policy, while only about one in eight (12 per cent) thought it should, the survey found.

It also found that 92 per cent of Christians agreed the law should apply to everyone equally, regardless of their personal religious beliefs.

Just over a quarter (26 per cent) said they completely believed in the power of prayer, with more than one in five (21 per cent) saying they either did not really believe in it or did not believe in it at all.

Almost half (49 per cent) had not attended a church service in the previous 12 months, apart from on occasions such as weddings, funerals and baptisms.

WIKILEAKS ON LEICESTER

There's so much stuff pouring out of WikiLeaks that it's not surprising Leicester is mentioned. Sooner or later, it seems like just about everywhere, everything (and everyone?) will be.

I get into the office late, after a day of meetings out, to find a phone message left by Neil Tweedie, from The Daily Telegraph. He asks if we would contact him urgently. I do, just after 1600. Neil tells me that he's been hoping to get someone from Leicester to comment on a document released by Wikileaks, in which a US State Department official reported on a visit to Leicester, giving her impression about the city's Muslim population.

Since leaving his message, Neil has spoken with someone at the Federation of Muslim Organisations, But I can't let the opportunity pass without saying that I'll get him some comment which they can publish in our Chair's name. And here it is, as sent to Neil within the next couple of hours:

"In Leicester, we're used to being the focus of attention for visitors, observers and commentators from all over the world. Hardly a week goes by without some individual or group contacting us (or some other agency working for community cohesion in the city) with an eye to seeing what's going on here - and this has included journalists from the US. We'd never claim to be perfect, or to have solved the issues that come with being a diverse city, but people here are genuinely trying to make things work out for the good of all. The thing that makes this matter newsworthy, of course, is its connection with WikiLeaks. But helping the different communities within the city of Leicester live and work side by side is an ongoing activity from which we can never really take a break, or say that it's been achieved once and for all."

Cllr Manjula Sood, Chair of Leicester Council of Faiths, was the first Asian woman Lord Mayor in Britain. She was featured on the front page of The Daily Telegraph in March 2009, when Leicester hosted a homecoming parade for British Service personnel returning from active service in Afghanistan and Iraq. Our parade was free of the kind of protests that marred similar events in some other British cities at the time.

Neil tells me that the story will be published in tomorrow (Sat 5 Feb). In the event, it doesn't appear - lots of space is devoted to the Prime Minister's declaration of his "war on multiculturalism", so I'm not surprised if some other issues have to move aside to make space for this.

The latest development in the Wikileaks story is that it has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

For a more skeptical view of cultural diversity in "One Leicester", read Ed West, writing on the Telegraph blog.

EQUALITY MADNESS! (EXCLAMATION POINT ADDED)

Having bought a copy of The Daily Telegraph just the other day, I break another habit of a lifetime and further sully my hands with today's Mail on Sunday. I couldn't resist that headline, now could I, faithful reader? It reminds me of those alarmist, hysterical, shrieking titles of trashy novelettes and movies of the 40s and 50s, such as "Reefer Madness". And what's that text above the headline? "Government spends £30 million to discover whether preserving fish stocks harm ethnic Chinese, or hovercraft discriminate against gays". Now read on ...

The government has been accused of wasting tens of millions of tasxpayers' money to comply with controversial new equality laws that force organisations to prove they are not discriminating against minority groups.

Whitehall departments have already issued a string of bizarre reports to meet the terms of the Equality Act 2010.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) paid £100,000 to consultants who produced a report investigating how efforts to boost Britain's coastal fish stocks would affect minority communities including the Chines, homosexuals and Welsh speakers.

And the Department for Transport issued a study this month looking at harassment and discrimination on ships and hovercraft. The report covered a range of groups, including transsexuals [referred to as "gays" in the strapline, you'll note.]

There's an in-depth report on a double-page spread inside the paper. Read the full article (then go take a shower).

It's almost Burns Night. As I was writing this blog entry, a few lines from Burns's poem, "To a Louse", came to mind:

O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!

Where's Warsi?

I've a ticket to hear Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Chair of the Conservative Party, speak at Leicester University this evening. She's giving the Annual Sternberg Lecture, under the title, "My Faith". It's had considerable coverage in the media (including front page of today's Telegraph) and attracted a great deal of attention, most of it positive and supportive. I've been looking forward to this, doing a fair bit of advance reading - can't remember the last time I bought a copy of The Daily Telegraph (if, indeed, I ever have).

Her central thesis - that it's become normal, even socially acceptable, to express prejudice against Muslims in polite company in modern Britain - is a hot topic today on Twitter, with links being posted to news and comment websites all over the world.

Baroness Warsi is appearing in the Rattray Lecture Theatre, 1730-1830. Well, that's what it says on the ticket, on the poster and on the promotional material I received by email. But when I get there, the lecture theatre is locked, with not a soul in sight. No notices up to say that the talk's been moved or anything. I go back out on to the campus, try the Percy Gee Building, Ken Edwards too, but no luck. Then I see an outside broadcast truck from ITV1, their team setting up outside the Fielding Johnson Building. I ask them if that's where Baroness Warsi's speaking. They tell me yes, but there's no sign to confirm that, inside or outside the building. I didn't even know there was a room inside Fielding Johnson that would accomodate a lecture - unless it's turned out to be a smaller occasion than was expected. There had been some protests threatened to greet our visitor today, but there's no evidence of them either. Maybe the last-minute moving of the venue and the lack of signage was part of a plan for putting them off the scent. Certainly worked for me. By this time, anyway, it's going on 1745 so I decide to cut my losses and go home - it's been a long day and I've not even had my tea yet.

Although I missed out on hearing the lecture in person, I have been able to read the full text of Baroness Warsi's talk, as well as some commentary by someone who was actually there (though he doesn't say which building it was held in). Here's a little more, from the Political Correspondent of the Leicester Mercury, who interviewed her earlier in the day - and the Leicester Mercury's printed article about the Baroness's talk, including a number of readers' comments.

If you'd like to check out a few more tales of things I failed to do, find, see or show up for, you're welcome to try these, faithful reader:
http://equalitydiversityofficer.blogspot.com/2011/01/of-gods-and-men.html

http://equalitydiversityofficer.blogspot.com/2010/07/workshop-oh-i-thought-you-said.html