Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has said that militant atheists should "get over it" and accept that the UK is a Christian nation
Pickles hit out at opponents of religion who try and “impose” their “politically correct intolerance”.
Mr Pickles in 2012 changed the law to ensure that councils could not face legal challenges for including prayers in public meetings.
He stepped in after the High Court backed a controversial campaign to abolish acts of worship during town hall meetings.
Mr Pickles said: “I’ve stopped an attempt by militant atheists to ban councils having prayers at the start of meetings if they wish. Heaven forbid. We’re a Christian nation. We have an established church. Get over it. And don’t impose your politically correct intolerance on others.”
Militant atheists should 'get over it' and accept UK is Christian
Eric Pickles attacks opponents of religion who try and “impose” their “politically correct intolerance”
Eric Pickles speaks at a remembrance service at the Church of All Saints Photo: Alamy
By Peter Dominiczak, Assistant Political Editor
06 Apr 2014
The Telegraph
Militant atheists should “get over it” and accept that Britain is a Christian nation, a minister has said.
Eric Pickles, the Communities Secretary, hit out at opponents of religion who try and “impose” their “politically correct intolerance”.
Mr Pickles in 2012 changed the law to ensure that councils could not face legal challenges for including prayers in public meetings.
He stepped in after the High Court backed a controversial campaign to abolish acts of worship during town hall meetings.
Mr Pickles said: “I’ve stopped an attempt by militant atheists to ban councils having prayers at the start of meetings if they wish. Heaven forbid. We’re a Christian nation. We have an established church. Get over it. And don’t impose your politically correct intolerance on others.”
He added: “This Government has backed British values. And we’ve stopped Whitehall appeasing extremism of any sort. Be it the EDL, be it extreme Islamists or be it thuggish far-left, they’re all as bad as each other.”
Mr Pickles has in the past accused the previous Labour government of “diminishing Christianity” by suggesting that religion and politics could not mix.
In a reference to the comments by Tony Blair’s former spin chief Alastair Campbell, he said last year: “We go through phases in politics, we had a phase where we didn't 'do God'.
“I don't think that worked out terribly well… in a way I think diminished Christianity
“In a way, the voice of religion was almost something politicians had to apologise for if they made any reference to it.”
The 2011 Census showed that the number of people who described themselves as Christian dropped by 13 per cent to 59 per cent of the population. But Church of England Sunday attendance figures suggest that decades of decline might have bottomed off.
David Cameron in December said that Britain should be grateful to the millions of Christians "who live out the letter" of the Bible by being good to their neighbours, setting up clubs and volunteering.
Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has warned that Christians in Britain feel under pressure to keep silent about their faith in public.
He said that he was “worried about the future of faith in the West” and highlighted an “increasing timidity” among churchgoers, with some fearing to admit faith in their own workplaces.
Mr Pickles also used a speech to activists at the Conservative Spring Forum to attack the Liberal Democrats and say that he has rejected their plans to increase parking fines.
He also joked that Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, is not “cheerful”.
“We’re in Coalition,” Mr Pickles said. “The big cuts to welfare and slashing public spending wouldn’t have been possible without the full support of Nick Clegg and Danny Alexander.
“I’m not saying Cabinet meetings are like an episode of the Good Life. In real life, Vince isn’t quite as cheerful as the late Richard Briers.”
Militant atheists should 'get over it' and accept UK is Christian - Telegraph
Pickles hit out at opponents of religion who try and “impose” their “politically correct intolerance”.
Mr Pickles in 2012 changed the law to ensure that councils could not face legal challenges for including prayers in public meetings.
He stepped in after the High Court backed a controversial campaign to abolish acts of worship during town hall meetings.
Mr Pickles said: “I’ve stopped an attempt by militant atheists to ban councils having prayers at the start of meetings if they wish. Heaven forbid. We’re a Christian nation. We have an established church. Get over it. And don’t impose your politically correct intolerance on others.”
Militant atheists should 'get over it' and accept UK is Christian
Eric Pickles attacks opponents of religion who try and “impose” their “politically correct intolerance”
Eric Pickles speaks at a remembrance service at the Church of All Saints Photo: Alamy
By Peter Dominiczak, Assistant Political Editor
06 Apr 2014
The Telegraph
Militant atheists should “get over it” and accept that Britain is a Christian nation, a minister has said.
Eric Pickles, the Communities Secretary, hit out at opponents of religion who try and “impose” their “politically correct intolerance”.
Mr Pickles in 2012 changed the law to ensure that councils could not face legal challenges for including prayers in public meetings.
He stepped in after the High Court backed a controversial campaign to abolish acts of worship during town hall meetings.
Mr Pickles said: “I’ve stopped an attempt by militant atheists to ban councils having prayers at the start of meetings if they wish. Heaven forbid. We’re a Christian nation. We have an established church. Get over it. And don’t impose your politically correct intolerance on others.”
He added: “This Government has backed British values. And we’ve stopped Whitehall appeasing extremism of any sort. Be it the EDL, be it extreme Islamists or be it thuggish far-left, they’re all as bad as each other.”
Mr Pickles has in the past accused the previous Labour government of “diminishing Christianity” by suggesting that religion and politics could not mix.
In a reference to the comments by Tony Blair’s former spin chief Alastair Campbell, he said last year: “We go through phases in politics, we had a phase where we didn't 'do God'.
“I don't think that worked out terribly well… in a way I think diminished Christianity
“In a way, the voice of religion was almost something politicians had to apologise for if they made any reference to it.”
The 2011 Census showed that the number of people who described themselves as Christian dropped by 13 per cent to 59 per cent of the population. But Church of England Sunday attendance figures suggest that decades of decline might have bottomed off.
David Cameron in December said that Britain should be grateful to the millions of Christians "who live out the letter" of the Bible by being good to their neighbours, setting up clubs and volunteering.
Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has warned that Christians in Britain feel under pressure to keep silent about their faith in public.
He said that he was “worried about the future of faith in the West” and highlighted an “increasing timidity” among churchgoers, with some fearing to admit faith in their own workplaces.
Mr Pickles also used a speech to activists at the Conservative Spring Forum to attack the Liberal Democrats and say that he has rejected their plans to increase parking fines.
He also joked that Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, is not “cheerful”.
“We’re in Coalition,” Mr Pickles said. “The big cuts to welfare and slashing public spending wouldn’t have been possible without the full support of Nick Clegg and Danny Alexander.
“I’m not saying Cabinet meetings are like an episode of the Good Life. In real life, Vince isn’t quite as cheerful as the late Richard Briers.”
Militant atheists should 'get over it' and accept UK is Christian - Telegraph
