The Baptist Times weekly since 1855 December 13 2007 • 80p • No 8205www.baptisttimes.co.uk

modern media: PUtting god on‐air • p5

christmas at the national gallery • p10/11

find out about our holiday offer to northern cyprus - P16

‘Take Christmas back’

By MARK WOODS

CALLS to reclaim Christmas as a national celebration have come from the influential chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and from a Conservative MP in a debate in the House of Commons. At a conference on diversity in London on Monday, Trevor Phillips warned of the danger of campaigns against Christmas in the name of a misguided attempt at political correctness feeding community tensions. ‘Denying Britain’s distinct religious heritage and the celebrations of the Christian calendar can undermine community relations, as people – frankly white people - feel that their historic faith is given less credence and attention than minority faiths and that’s why it is important,’ he said. EHRC, he added had spoken to ‘Muslim, Sikh and Hindu faith leaders who find it absurd that celebrating Christmas could be construed as offensive to those of other faiths, and who would like Christmas to be celebrated openly and wholeheartedly in this country - and carry a religious message. ‘No minority community is affronted by this country’s Christian traditions.’ He said, ‘Let’s get one thing clear – it’s fine to celebrate Christmas, and its fine for Christ to be the star of that show.’ Mr Phillips described the ‘real issues’ about expressing difference as ‘living together with civility; expressing ourselves freely; talking to each other and about each other without fear or awkwardness or offence’. His comments were welcomed by Sikh, Hindu and Muslim religious leaders. Shayk Ibrahim Mogra, Chair of the Inter Faith Relations Committee, Muslim Council of Britain said, ‘To suggest celebrating Christmas and having decorations offends Muslims is absurd. Why should Christmas not be celebrated openly and wholeheartedly in our country when a vast majority of people are Christians? Why can’t we have more nativity scenes in Britain? His comments followed a Westminster debate led by Mark Pritchard, Conservation MP for The Wrekin, who warned of the dangers of ‘Christianophobia’. ‘This debate is about the

christian support for climate change protests

Picture:Alessia Pierdomenico / Reuters

CHRISTIAN groups joined thousands of protestors in rallies all around the world last weekend, calling on world leaders at the UN Climate Change conference in Bali to do more to tackle global warming. In London an ecumenical prayer service organised by Operation Noah, Christian Ecology Link, Eco-Congregation and the Student Christian Movement took place at St Matthew’s church in Great Peter St, Westminster.

During the service Operation Noah director Dr Ann Pettifor said, ‘Climate change is an issue that has parallels with international debt. Jubilee 2000 criticised the dangerous notion that debts would simply be fixed some time in the future. Today Operation Noah points out that global warming must be dealt with today. We can’t rely on some fix to come along in the future.’ The congregation braved torrential

rain on the walk down Millbank to Westminster where they joined the 10,000 strong march to the American Embassy in Grosvenor Square. The United Nations has announced a programme for the world’s major faiths to help tackle climate change. A seven-year plan of action will be launched in early 2009 at Windsor Castle and will involve Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Daoist, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Shinto, Sikh

and Zoroastrian leaders. They will be invited to commit their followers to projects and programmes that will address climate change in practical ways, which might include forestry conservation, organic farming schemes and introducing, promoting and financing alternative energy sources. The scheme is being facilitated by the Alliance of Religions and Conservation which was set up by Prince Philip in 1995.

relentless assault, mostly by stealth, on this nation’s muchloved Christian heritage and traditions,’ he said. ‘It is about how anti-Christian sentiment is increasing, not decreasing; why many Christians feel they are not getting a fair hearing when it comes to Christianity in the public square; and what many people of all faiths and no faith see as the increasing marginalisation of Britain’s Christian history, heritage and traditions through the actions of Whitehall Departments, Government agencies, local authorities, the charity

commissioners, or other sectors of society.’ He instanced problems on University campuses, difficulties experienced by Christian groups seeking Government grants, and decisions about adoption and fostering. ‘Today, many people from the Christian tradition feel that any religious allegiance is permissible as long as it is not the Christian tradition, and that everything is tolerated except a Christian world view,’ he said. ‘It cannot be right that all views are valid in the public arena as long as they are not traditional

or orthodox Christian views.’ In response, community cohesion minister Parmjit Dhanda said, ‘I fully recognise the full historical and cultural significance [of Christianity] in our country. We should all be aware of that and celebrate that.’ Evangelical Alliance Council member Alistair Burt MP said that Britain’s cohesiveness as a nation owed much to a public framework of Christianity. ‘The Church does not need contemporary Britain, but does contemporary Britain need the Church? You bet it does.’

The National Secular Society said the debate was ‘a bizarre display of religious paranoia and a waste of precious Parliamentary time’. With Mr Phillips’ comments, Mr Pritchard’s speech was made against a background of stories about the decline in traditional Nativity plays, regarded by many schools as too controversial, and unfounded reports that the Royal Mail was discouraging the sale of Christmas stamps. The Catholic journalist and commentator Cristina Odone was barred from giving a speech

to the Royal Commonwealth Society carol service dealing with growing intolerance to religion because it was deemed too controversial. She described herself as ‘incandescent’ at the decision, saying: ‘I think there is a tremendous move to down play this country’s Christian heritage, to silence, ridicule and marginalise religious belief. ‘They have shown precisely the kind of intolerance and disapproval of Christianity that I am talking about.’

See editorial, p8