Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury has filed a witness statement on behalf of the Christian students at Exeter University.The former spiritual head of the world-wide Anglican Communion has submitted a four-page statement to the Court.
In it, he not only gives his unequivocal support to the students for taking the action under the Human Rights Act, but also backs the controversial Statement of Belief, to which executive committee members must sigh up if they are to lead the Christian Union at Exeter.
He has told the Court that he is regards it as "an honour to support their [the CUs] work". He also says "the doctrinal basis of the Exeter University Christian Union is totally within the mainstream locus of the historic Christian faith", and that he is "proud to state that I subscribe to these principles as well, even though not all Christians will agree with, or assent to, the substance or the wording of the tenets".
The former Prelate believes the requirement that a person who wishes to join the Christian Union at Exeter University must subscribe to a doctrinal statement of faith identifying such an individual as a Christian is "entirely understandable and responsible", adding "Chaplaincies in Universities are no different. Their doctrinal statement is called the Creed and it is one I subscribe to as well".
