Saturday, December 17, 2011

Is Britain a Christian Nation?

Over at Powerline there is an article entitled "Is Britain a Christian Nation?"  They quote the prime minister as stating the Britain is a Christian nation.
Britain is a Christian nation and should not be afraid of standing up for Christian values to help counter the country’s “moral collapse”, Prime Minister David Cameron said Friday.
In a rare foray into religion by a British premier, Cameron said “live and let live” had too often become “do what you please” in Britain.
The “passive tolerance” of immoral behaviour had helped fuel the August riots, excess in the banking industry and home-grown Islamist terror, he said.
“We are a Christian country. And we should not be afraid to say so,” Cameron said at an event in Oxford, southern England, to mark the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible.
“The Bible has helped to give Britain a set of values and morals which make Britain what it is today. Values and morals we should actively stand up and defend.
The alternative of moral neutrality should not be an option.”
The problem is that the actions of the people is continuing to trend contrary to this "Christian" nation status.  Later in the article Cameron is quoted as saying:
Cameron described himself as a committed but only “vaguely practising” member of the Church of England, who was “full of doubts” about big theological issues.
It seems as though Cameron wants the fruit of Christianity--its moral base--but not the full throttled belief system that undergirds that morality.  It reminds me of Israel at various times in the Old Testament when they wanted the fruit of the covenant but not with heart-felt devotion to the Lord.