CAMERON'S DIVISIVE CHRISTIANITY.

David Cameron has apparently said in recent times that the UK should be "more confident about our status as a Christian country". Now a rag-bag group of 'public figures' has claimed that Cameron risks being divisive and causing alienation in our society as a direct result of his remarks.

How all of these people can be so wrong escapes me. Britain was a Christian country in the days when its people believed in ghosts and goblins, when they feared for their eternal souls and had no understanding of science. Today, we are at best a nominally Christian society with only a handful of those professing Christianity attending church other than for marriages or funerals; even baptism has largely ceased to be the ritual it once was. Additionally, with the vast influx of Muslim, Hindus, and others we now have whole areas of our larger towns and cities that owe no allegiance whatsoever to Christian values.

Cameron is correct only in so far as the dominant heritage of our nation remains Christian and the values of most of the population continue to be based on that heritage. However, to claim that we are a Christian country is nonsense. Likewise, for the signatories to a letter sent to the Daily Telegraph to claim that Cameron's comments may be seen as divisive and alienating is ridiculous. Cameron has done no more than state his point of view, a view based on the history of this country, and that can hardly be seen as divisive; any divisiveness can only come from the influx of settlers who do not, and will not, share that history. The divisive influence derives solely from the immigrants who refuse to mix in with the established society but, instead, set up their own enclaves where they continue to behave exactly as if they had never left Calcutta, Jerusalem or Islamabad.

The recent issues raised with regard to schools in parts of Birmingham are a clear example of divisiveness being caused by immigrant groups. Here we have Muslims apparently attempting to ignore national rules and guidelines and imposing their own cultural values on British state schools. Previously, we've seen issues relating to the wearing of traditional Muslim and Sikh clothing being used to batter holes in our laws and to introduce special concessions for non-Christians. How long will it be before we begin to introduce special arrangements allowing Muslims and others to set up their own legal and education systems and exempt themselves from the state ?

Many will say that my comments are rubbish; all I can say in response is "Wait and see". Just as George Orwell's 1984 got its time frame wrong, so did Enoch Powell. In every other respect, both made accurate predictions of the shape of things to come.