Britain is in trouble

[Fidel_Castronaut]

Truthfully, I don't care if Scotland becomes independent. Ultimately the world is moving towards a unified system of governance and the blurring of lines and identities. It won't happen in our lifetime, but eventually.

Regardless of whether the scots decide to become independent (doubtful considering the massive uncertainty that would entail), eventually they will be re-unified with the rest of the UK anyway.

As for the OP, It's a massive shame that British Politics has become imbued with mediocrity. And that some of the worlds finest political and academic institutions can both create and tolerate that mediocrity.

[Cyberman]

Just think of all that wonderful Scottish culture......

Like haggis......and the Proclaimers.......

I love haggis, myself. But it has an amazing effect on a dog's digestive tract - at least it did on Elly, my sister's (now late) Rough Collie cross of very little brain when we stayed in a cottage in Culbokie about fifteen years ago. She wolfed down a couple of healthy portions, with not even a hint of the gaseous nightmare that was to follow...

Worst part was she insisted on sleeping right under my bed.

[Foxaèr]

This IS a Christian country, says Archbishop of Canterbury

Britain is a Christian country, the Archbishop of Canterbury insisted today in boost for David Cameron in his row with atheists about his Easter message.

Justin Welby said he agreed with the Prime Minister that the country's values had been ‘shaped and founded on’ the religion.

But he admitted that proof of the importance of Christianity to the UK could not be found in attendance numbers at church, which have continued to fall over several years.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...hurch.html

[Cyberman]

Britain IS a Christian country - says head of organisation with vested interest in not rocking the boat. Or indeed insisting there is a boat to rock at all.

[DeistPaladin]

That could be the problem. Having an established church might be acting as a straitjacket, keeping the more extreme nutters in check. That's not to say that we don't have our share of religious idiocy, just that we keep ours in a zoo.

Really, I think it's worked out better for you that way. Technically, Britain IS a Christian nation since it has a state church but that turned out to work really well for the atheists and other sane people.

By maintaining a state religion, you've kept the church fat, content and protected. There's no need for the church leaders to make it appealing to the general public because there's no need to sell the product. Just stay with tradition where people are herded in, they mumble some stuff and you herd them back out again. The plus side is far fewer people take it seriously.

Our founders made the mistake of thinking that the way to keep Christian insanity from taking over the government was to maintain a strict separation of Church and State. You see, they didn't understand evolution back then. If they had, they might have known they were cultivating a dangerous, aggressive strain of the Christian virus.

Religion was cut off from public funding and tossed out on the street. In order to survive, it had to find ways to appeal to the general public. The dreary ones clinging to tradition died. The ones that dressed up the services with flair and razzle-dazzle attracted more followers, survived and grew.

Come to America sometime and go looking for a Puritan church. You won't find one. You know why? The Puritans took away all the fun stuff that people liked, including Christmas and Easter. Dreary versions of Christianity might still persist in some corners but they've mostly been snuffed out by their competition in what could be called "survival of the flashiest".

Now for some contrast, take a gander at a mega-church sometime, that is if you can stand the creepy feeling of walking through an insane asylum except where the inmates run the facility. You'll hear rock music, you'll see showmanship and you'll hear passionate public speakers raving about how The Holy Spirit can change your life. As a businessman myself, part of me would admire the marketing flair but for the ethical concerns that the product doesn't really exist.

It turns out Britain had the right idea all along. Keep religion fat and protected, like a drugged animal in a carefully maintained cage. Who cares that you really are a Christian nation if nobody who lives there is a Christian?

[Cyberman]

I like to think that some genius came up with the brilliant idea to give the xtians their own established church, religious recognition, seats in the Upper House etc. Then while they were blinded by the illusion of religious freedom and power, they never noticed the circus act they were turning into. Whoever it was, I'd love to shake their hand and take them out for a drink or two.

I'm sure there are stories from mythology that are like that; in which the hero defeats the gorgon by giving them exactly what they want. The xtians, of course, never had a chance to see it coming, given that they only read the one fairytale.

[FreeTony]

Some pretty sensible comment from the ex-Archbishop: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27177265

[kılıç_mehmet]

Well, all Euro countries are Christian to me. Britain's monarch is head of the Anglican church. So what is there to discuss?

[zebo-the-fat]

Well, all Euro countries are Christian to me. Britain's monarch is head of the Anglican church. So what is there to discuss?

OK, big Lizzy is head of the church, what does that mean? What does she actually do and who would be inconvenienced if she stopped doing it?

[kılıç_mehmet]

Well, all Euro countries are Christian to me. Britain's monarch is head of the Anglican church. So what is there to discuss?

OK, big Lizzy is head of the church, what does that mean? What does she actually do and who would be inconvenienced if she stopped doing it?

Really, does it matter whether she does something or not? She is both the sovereign of the country, and the head of the Anglican Church, which has traditionally been an important, and frankly, an inseperable aspect of the British nation.
Its not about the current Queen, my friend, after she dies, the next monarch will be the head of the church, as monarchies depend upon such traditions.