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Lord Carey is a bigger problem for British Christians than any secularist

This article is more than 11 years old
Out of touch with his flock, apparently ignorant of basic theological concepts, and dragging the image of Christianity through the mud; leaders like George Carey pose a far greater threat to the future of Christianity in Britain than any secularist

Some days ago I spoke to a foreign journalist who was nervous about coming to Britain. As a Christian she wore the cross around her neck; but was afraid that if she did so in Britain it could cause "trouble". Watching our country from afar, its image reflected in the fairground mirrors of the British press, she had been led to believe my nation is an intolerant country where Christians might face harassment or anger.

In the real world - a world uninhabited by dragons, wizards, or vast secular conspiracies to eradicate Christianity - this is the effect that people like Lord Carey have when they conjure false images of persecution. They hurt Christians, they damage the image of Christianity, and they drive wedges through society.

In his latest outburst, Carey is guilty of at least three sins against his flock: he fear-mongers regarding the ability of Christians to express their faith in public, he regurgitates a slew of mythical episodes of Christian persecution, and he entirely misrepresents secularism.

Take his ludicrous suggestion, as reported by The Telegraph, that "the outward expression of traditional conservative Christian values has effectively been "banned" in Britain." This from a life peer who lived in a palace, holds a seat in the House of Lords (alongside twenty-odd other Bishops from the Church of England), and has his remarks published on the front pages of newspapers.

It's true that in recent years we've seen a barrage of stories in the national press in which Christians have been discriminated against by their employees, from nurses banned from wearing crosses, to doctors sacked for e-mailing prayers to colleagues, to the BBC banning AD/BC notation.

These tales tend to share three key features: they originate with particular Christian lobbying outfits; they tend to surface in the Express, Mail or Telegraph, with little or no additional journalism; and in every case I have ever looked at, the story presented to the public bears little resemblance to what actually happened.

Nurses are asked to remove necklaces because they're a safety risk. The doctor sacked for e-mailing a prayer was alleged to have a history of creating a "toxic environment" in his workplace, and the idea that the BBC ever tried to ban the use of BC or AD in dates is pure fiction. The people who manipulate these stories probably think they're part of some brave new wave of vocal campaigners defending the rights of Christians; in reality they spread fear among their flocks and damage the image of their faith.

Of Carey's latest remarks, his reference to a "secular conformity of belief and conduct" is perhaps the most misguided. As I've said before:

"Secularism supports "the right to a religious identity", state religion opposes it. In a secular society everyone is free to have their own faith and express it as they see fit. State religion imposes one brand of faith, forcing people to participate in its traditions and skewing the political system to give its followers preferential treatment over the rest of the society."

Lord Carey's use of "secular conformity" is both oxymoronic and blatantly hypocritical. Secularism gives people the freedom to choose religion; Carey demands a place for "Judaeo-Christian values" in public life, and remarks ominously that the "courts of the United Kingdom require guidance." Who are the conformists in this debate?

The ability of Christians to express their faith in public is not threatened by secularism - quite the opposite. What may be threatened are the trappings of power that Archbishops and other Christian elites enjoy: the palaces, the political offices, the media exposure and the power to shape public services. A cynic might ask whether the war on secularism had more to do with protecting their privileges than the interests of the masses.

Following the Lambeth conference in 1998, Carey remarked: "If this conference is known by what we have said about homosexuality, then we will have failed." Today his achievement has been to cast his own church as a bitter, bigoted, anachronism; obsessed with homosexuals and disconnected from the concerns and views of ordinary people. That legacy is an insult to most decent Christians.

When things go wrong it's always tempting to blame other people. Christianity is in long term decline, but the cause is not some secularist war. As long as it tolerates leaders and spokesmen like Lord Carey, Christianity is perfectly capable of waging war on itself.

Twitter: @mjrobbins

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