Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury is a prominent supporter of a campaign by Christians living in Britain against the marginalisation of Christian belief in our nation.
The campaign, which is launched today – 1st December – has adopted the title and slogan “Not Ashamed Day“ and it is calling on all Christians to stand up and be counted.
The intention is to deliver the following declaration to many prominent people in public life around our nation, including Buckingham Palace and No 10 Downing Street:
“WE BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is good news for our nation. He is the only true hope and solid foundation for our society.”
“WE CALL on government, employers and other leaders in our country to protect the freedom of Christians to participate in public life without compromising biblical teaching and to promote in our society the values that are revealed through Jesus Christ and that have so shaped our nation, for the good of all.”
It is noteworthy that the statements within the declaration are only positive and express the importance of underpinning our nation and society with values of the highest integrity and morality.
If as a nation we abandon these values and seek to marginalise those who aim to put them into practice, then eventually we will pay a high price in terms of fairness, justice and economic prosperity.
It is a personal decision whether or not someone believes in God, sin, the need for a Saviour, Jesus Christ or any other Christian teachings that have the power to transform people’s lives– and rightly so. However, regardless of one’s personal religious beliefs it is surely folly to dismiss, discredit and generally undermine the Christian teachings and standards that have stood this nation in good stead for many generations.
Surely, it is better to embrace whatever is good for our nation whether or not we believe in its origin.
When it comes to integrity and moral values, the bible tends to focus on the individual. However, it also passes comment on the predominant values within a nation:
“Righteousness makes a nation great; sin is a disgrace to any nation.”
(Proverbs 14:34)
Anyone who wants to dismiss the Christian heritage of our country would be well advised to think long and hard at the longer-term consequences for all of us.
Of course, as Christians, we would also urge everyone who has not already done so to also look into what Christianity has to offer them in their personal lives. It is far more than a mere religion – it is the power of God to transform people’s lives.
You can read a very brief synopsis of what Christianity offers on our page
“How Can I Be Saved“
