Bishop 'sorry' Blair unable to reveal faith
by Daniel Blake
Posted: Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 8:10 (GMT)
The Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, has criticised the former Prime Minister Tony Blair, saying he was “sorry” that he felt unable to talk about his faith during his time in office.
In the last episode of the BBC One series ‘The Blair Years’, the former Prime Minister said that his faith was a crucial component for him in taking the job of Prime Minister and was “hugely important” during his time in office.
However, he also said on the programme that unlike in the USA he felt unable to openly say so as "you talk about it in our system and, frankly, people do think you're a nutter".
Reacting to the comments Bishop Nazir-Ali was quoted by the BBC as saying, "I am sorry that Tony Blair feels he could not talk about his faith in case people thought he was a nutter.
"A Christian vision underlies all that is important about Britain: its laws, institutions and values.”
"If Blair had been able to relate this vision to his policies, we would have had more constructive social policy at home and principled policies abroad."
Tony Blair’s former spokesman Alistair Campbell once famously told journalists, “We don’t do God.”
During the current programme, Campbell admitted to the BBC that Blair “does do God in quite a big way”, but that the two of them feared a negative public reaction to it. Campbell added that Blair always asked his aides to find a church for him to attend each Sunday wherever he happened to be in the world.
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The comments below are readers' personal opinions and are in no way intended to reflect the editorial opinion of Christian Today.
Added: Sunday, December 2, 2007, 14:14 (GMT)
You cannot separate politics from your beliefs just like you cannot sort your unbelief from politics. Militant atheistic/secular liberals make no apology for their continued influence on Government or our society (which is such a terrible mess) neither does the Guardian or the so called Independent be slow or shy in reporting their frequent atheistic/secular militant liberal views; taking every opportunity to ridicule Christian beliefs and moral values.
So why should Christians or Catholics who are in politics be shy in expressing their beliefs? Just because it's not in vogue? The brave man or woman of faith needs to be bold and stand and be counted and not be bullied by the trendy secular liberals. But sadly, despite Blair's claim to the Christian faith, he didn't do that in his time as PM.
Instead his Government was led for ten years by the trendy secular liberals and he didn't have the guts to stand and be counted. against them.… The fact he didn't allow one free vote on our outdated liberal abortion laws is proof of that. Not to mention his appeasement of the militant gay lobby, even if it meant riding roughshod over the people of faith's beliefs and values to appease them. Nor did he introduce any policies to support the traditional family during his time of office.
It's sad that Tony Blair has taken so long to nail his colours to the mast. Let's hope he finds more courage to speak in public about what he truly believes when he becomes a Roman Catholic. Also let's hope he will be more sincere as a Catholic than he was as PM.
Simon Icke, AYLESBURY UK
Added: Friday, November 30, 2007, 8:08 (GMT)
An obvious scripture:
Mat 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also, before my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Tony, Cambridge, England
Added: Wednesday, November 28, 2007, 13:40 (GMT)
If Tony did do God, as you put it then He would not fear man and deny God by being afraid of His faith so a Christian he cannot be!
Jacqui, Cirencester UK
Added: Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 15:43 (GMT)
does Mr Blair realise you have to be born again to be a chrisitan. And Godwill give him the powers to speak openly
Peter Benjamin, united kingdom
