Religion is increasingly political

Rachel Sylvester for the Times Online   |  22 Oct 2008     TEXT

The Archbishop of Canterbury likes to say that religion is getting increasingly political just as politicians become ever more interested in subjects that have traditionally been the domain of religion. For once, he has never been more right.

This week the House of Commons will vote on government proposals to allow the creation of human-animal hybrid embryos for scientific research. At the same time, MPs are pushing for changes to the law on abortion.

The assisted suicide of the rugby player Daniel James has reopened the debate about euthanasia. The rows over headscarves, the blasphemy law, science education and Lords reform all show how the boundaries have been blurred.

Meanwhile, in the City, Mammon has been exposed as a false god whose worshippers seem to have been sacrified on the altar of the credit crunch. There is a yearning for answers that go beyond interest rates, targets and the public sector borrowing requirement. The bishops have started bashing the bankers. Yet politicians, of all parties, have never been more fearful of faith.

Full article:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/rachel_sylvester/article4981344.ece

Comments on this story

Log in or create a user account to comment.

Powered by eZ Publish™ CMS Open Source Web Content Management. Copyright © 1999-2010 eZ Systems AS (except where otherwise noted). All rights reserved.