to think many politicians who claim to be Christians and who say this is a Christian country really aren't Christians and would criticise the teachings of Jesus

Not UK, but Google Senator Ronan Mullen.

Religion should be kept well out of politics. Of course it won’t be any time soon.
Education, too.

Me neither.

I haven’t seen any of that from the leaders of the main political parties in the UK.

I feel like politicians may sometimes need to intervene in religious matters, for example making a statement on abuse within the catholic church or when commenting on food banks (often run by religious groups), to name but a couple of examples. Religious leaders do not need to be involved in politics and shouldn't be. There is no place for it.

I look forward to them stopping banging on about hot cross buns, Ramadan displays, Easter egg hunts and mythical bannings of the nativity in schools.

My Dad always said Christianity is a great idea, someone should try it.

People who claim to be Christians very rarely actually are.

My point was that the same politicians who have no qualms about wading into issues related to religion profess outrage when religious leaders have opinions on politics.

From a balanced point of view, I have no more issue with religious leaders professing political issues than any other self-interested bodies (charities, trade associations, the WI) doing so. They represent a certain group of people with a certain view.

But the rank hypocrisy of politicians aligning themselves with religion when it suits them but complaining when leaders of those religions have an opinion on policy decisions (based on the teachings of selfsame religion) is worthy of comment.

They largely do, don’t they? At least in the UK.

I don't think I could judge the faith of another. Really, the whole 'they aren't really Christians' when we're discussing people who are using Christian messages we can find in the texts and gaining power from Christian communities is to dismiss the impact of that power. It's been used time and again for abusers in churches and all it does is tell victims that churches will not take ownership of their own, will not recognise it's own power and influence in this situation. It's basically holding a near impossible, shifting standard to be able to wash one's hands of responsibility - which does fit neatly into some lines I think by Paul that those who turn away from the churches were never truly Christian. That's been used to abuse a lot of people.

Having no faith in any religious organisation, I'm quite happy without any of the public displays and still have found it odd how many very public, religious messages I've seen around Ramadan where I am in the East Midlands, whereas I've seen very few comparatively about Easter. Part of that is the Muslim communities are willing to buy billboards, put it on buses, talk with shop owners about displays, whereas I don't think Christian communities are as willing to do that these days. I had a meeting with a dean of a local cathedral this week, and he said on leaving to the meeting, 'Happy holidays for those it applies too', he literally leads the meeting in prayer, we discuss his work in helping Church of England schools in their "Christian distinctiveness", but also seemed timid in case he offended any of us. The most the local churches do is little flyers or handing out cards, or signs on their own property welcoming people. It's almost like they're almost afraid to be seen too much.

The use of public spaces by any organisation does in part define the space, it's part of the culture of the space, so yeah, I can see why some Christians - whether others see them as Christianly or not - not liking that Christian organisations aren't as willing to do the same as Muslim ones are currently doing. It's not any of the Muslims communities fault for this, but I can see people blaming the churches for not keeping up in public spaces.

When a person who claims to be Christian displays none of the values that Jesus taught, I think it can be concluded that they aren't Christian. Or weren't listening to the Christian message. Or maybe they just don't get it?

The Bible isn't univocal and the values Jesus taught can conflict and be read in different ways.

Some read and focus on the forgiveness and his time with the lowest in society, some will focus on the coming to bring the sword, divide families and 'go and sin no more'. Some focus on spreading the gospel to all of the Earth. All of those are messages and values from Jesus. They are all part of the Christian message. All denominations and individuals choose their focuses, but they're all there in the texts, before getting into messages in other parts of the Bible.

What now?

By the same token, political leaders should stay out of religion.

Your main concern is annual leave 😂😂😂

Every Christian event, Christmas, Easter, all souls night etc. The atheists, other religious and the left get together and this happens:

• it's all pagan;
• we not Christian country;
• Christians don't behave like Christians;
• no one is eroding Christian traditions (replacing"Easter" on eggs, replacing "Christmas" with "holidays".
• did Jesus say anything about eggs, Jesus wasn't born on Christmas Day.

We get it, but every time..
Yes, some traditions have pagan routes. Take a bow!

Historically, our legal system, our traditions and culture was built on judo Christian beliefs. Fine if we not anymore but please don't re write history while we replace this all with god knows what.

Christians don't behave like Christians. No because Christianity isn't a script out of the vicar of debleby. Love and tolerance is the heart of it but it's based on following teachings which are difficult to follow in todays world(like sex outside marriage is a sin) and which others who don't believe find intolerant. But if you believe these sins will banish you to hell (yes, this is what Christians believe) why should Christian tollerate?

If this country is no longer a Christian anymore that's fine. Let's not force people to take time off as a national holiday to mark it. Just let those who believe retain the traditions, the names of the events and let them take time as annual leave to so in peace.

I’m Catholic, our local Tory MP comes to our church… whenever I see him, I do wonder how he reconciles his conscience (he has a terrible voting record, around disability rights, refugees, asylum seekers etc)

What really gets my goat is when they selectively use religion, in their political life .. such as JRM, voting to support curtailing abortion rights (against his religion…) - yet spectacularly disregarding his religion when it comes to refugees, looking after the poor, and the evils of wealth

We are culturally Christian, but within that there are many shades of observance, or none. We also have a generally secular view in allowing all religions and none, as long as they don't interfere with that basic culture.

I am culturally a Christian, but don't believe in a God, or in organised religion. I would class myself as a humanist probably. I still believe in love and tolerance, but at the same time would not countenance a religion, any religion, imposing their own set of values on me or the country. I include fundamental Christians in this just to be clear. I like the French model.

So, back to the OP, parliamentarians can be any religion or none, but they should defend our multicultural and multi faith country, in a way that allows all to practice, but not to the detriment of anyone else.

Alastair Campbell got it right when an interviewer wanted to ask Tony Blair about his faith when he famously said “we don’t do god”
Religion has no place in politics.
Farage and Anderson like many politicians would say anything to get attention and pander to the section of society they target.
I think the world would be a better place with no religion but I expect those who enjoy power and violence would find another sort of tribalism to use instead.

Pray tell, what is a 'genuine' xtian - being as, even on this thread, we see lots of different interpretations. Who is right? Who is wrong?

Compassion for things you are judging, that's the overriding theme.
Xtians prime motivation is always to glorify their god, even if they end up benefitting society while they do it.

They aren’t genuine Christians. Farage and his ilk might label themselves that way but they don’t live as Jesus lived. 😂

*immorality

The bible is clear that the welfare of the poor, the widow and the orphan, as well as the ‘foreigner’ are hugely significant to God. According to scripture wealth is a potential barrier to God because it hardens your heart to God and those around you.

I doubt any hard right politician’s Christian faith because whilst Jesus was absolutely NOT party political, it’s impossible for a living faith not to impact your politics. Food banks are something the psalms would rail about, the super rich would meet some harsh criticisms. Debts would be regularly cancelled. There are areas of policy where I am more ‘conservative’ e.g abortion. But compassion is the overriding stance of the gospels and should impact how we respond to any situation. We can’t ignore that in favour of ‘issues’. Without love we are like a clashing symbol.

The fact that they actively moved abusers around, thereby precipitating further abuse. They behaved this way as an institution. It was institutional immortality. It was against god. Scum of the earth. And when all these abusers face their god, I hope they are made to face up to the evils they perpetrated and facilitated.

Spot on. Personally I doubt these people have a personal faith, they’re just using it as an excuse to be Islamophobic. And if they do have a faith they should start showing the LOVE that Christ preaches.

Religious leaders should not be involved in politics, they have no place in a modern society.