Why is the political establishment in the United Kingdom backing Christian prayers in council meetings and in Parliament?
The answer lies in a real practical distinction between hard and soft political correctness.
Hard core PC activists such as the National Secular Society which brought the High Court action against Bideford Town Council to get Christian prayers off the municipal agenda want Christianity out of the public square. But moderates in politically correct terms are prepared to allow houseroom to the 'faith sector' and are happy to allow public prayers in the council chamber.
That is because such a concession poses little threat to the onward march of the PC agenda. Moderate PCs enjoy the ceremonial trappings of a constitutional monarchy with a liberal and ineffectual established church. Their ardour for equality does not extend to being willing to sacrifice their place in the procession. Or on the pay scale.
Such self-interested affection for national heritage is broadly the explanation for soft PC support for Christian prayers in the political space.
Christians should not be overwhelmed by residual support for a small aspect of public Christianity. The Gospel we preach is that Jesus Christ is Lord over the whole of life, including the deliberations in the Parliament and Councils of this Realm.
In pursuing our calling to proclaim the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ against the dictates of political correctness, we need to be mindful of the spiritual reality that prayer and Christ-centred action are welded together in the Bible. The prayer meeting of the Jerusalem Church as described in Acts 4 typifies this nexus. The believers' prayer understood the opposition God's Gospel was encountering within the framework of Psalm 2 - 'the kings of the earth set themselves in array, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Anointed' (Acts 4v26 - RSV).
Girded with that biblical understanding, they pray for boldness to speak the Lord's word in the teeth of the threats from the powers that be (v29). And then in the power of the Holy Spirit, they act on their prayer by proclaiming Jesus Christ's Messianic rule (v31).
That kind of God-centred, biblically-driven prayer united to Christ-proclaiming action will get UK Christians into trouble, even and perhaps especially from those supportive of prayers at a council meeting.
A longer version of this post - The politically correct only tolerate safe Christianity - has appeared on Christian Today.
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Yes, there's a clear distinction between civic, sentimental Christianity and real Christianity. We have to bear this fact in mind (and ready for when it's our turn to testify to the truth, and end up in court as a result). But it just might be that the Holy Spirit is able to work within this "civic, sentimental" Christianity in ways that you or I can't immediately perceive.
ReplyDeleteCall me a hardened cynic, but I strongly suspect this new-found support for prayer is merely a facade behind which they can implement profoundly un-Christian legislation, such as gay 'marriage'.
ReplyDeleteAn excellent article.
ReplyDeleteMight the curate address the youth group on the reasons why he stays in the Church of England?
The writer has been a Conservative Evangelical Anglican layman for nearly 25 years. However, he is now contemplating the journey to Confessional Presbyterianism.
He appreciates that all denominations suffer from heresy and apostasy, especially in high places. However, he suspects that the problem is insoluble in the Anglican case, as it is possible neither to enforce sound doctrine nor to separate from false teachers.
Moreover, he feels that the problem itself is becoming so extreme as to require his departure on grounds of conscience in any event. He wishes to remain anonymous while he sorts out his position in preparation for the coming persecution.
An astute article, Julian. Its a good idea to always examine the motives of the powers-that-be with a sceptical eye!
ReplyDelete"When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive" [Prov 23:1-3]
Well said, Anonymous, writing on Feb 15.
ReplyDeleteI too have left a Conservative Evangelical Anglican church, because the CofE is a joke, a complete waste of time and money.
I have now joined a Baptist church that sticks to the Gospel. No liberal Catholic bishop telling us who to appoint as rector / vicar. No sacking of clergy so that we can pay a quota much higher than the cost of what we get back. No shelling out for ancient buildings. Freedom to follow Jesus!
Wake up Julian. Forget your establishment obsessed public school Iwerne indoctrination. Wake up and smell the coffee! Get out of the CofE!
David
Thank you Michael A. It would seem our communities' secretary Eric Pickles is very sincere in his moral outrage against the Bideford ruling.
ReplyDeleteRe a piece that appeared on LifeSiteNews about my Christian Today article, I genuinely did not have Baroness Warsi's Rome speech in mind. One has every reason to believe her concerns about militant secularisation are sincerely held.
I was trying to engage with the soft PC mentality in UK politics rather than impugning the motives of individual politicians which is disrespectful and unChristian.