The Prime Minister, and the Professor!

At the recent National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast, two of the speakers (possibly the only two - I didn't receive an invitation, so was not in attendance!!) were the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron, and Professor John Lennox of Oxford University.

The PM, it has been widely reported, praised the role of Christianity in British society: “We are in danger of forgetting the contribution of Christianity to the moral foundations of our society.”  This is the same PM who appears to be, if you will pardon the expression, hell-bent on overturning the Biblical, and Christian, perspective of marriage as being the voluntary union of a man and a woman, for life, and to the exclusion of all others. 

The PM went on to say, “We are a country with a Christian heritage and we should not be afraid to say so. There are many challenges ahead and I believe the Christian faith will rise to these challenges, as it has done in the past, and continue to nourish and strengthen our country.”  Some of us, Mr Cameron, are neither afraid, nor ashamed, to nail our colours to the mast, and proclaim ourselves to be disciples of Jesus.   However, may I point out that it is you, and your 'Westminster bubble élitist friends' who are one of the main challenges to the faith which we profess.  Yes, we will rise to meet them, confident in the ultimate victory already assured at the cross of Calvary.  However, if your heart was anywhere close to your mouth, there are challenges that we wouldn't have to face!

Professor Lennox, it would appear - and this is not to be unexpected! - pulled no punches in front of his audience of Members of Parliament and 'prominent' Christians (I'm never quite certain as to what it is that makes one Christian more 'prominent' than another.  Did not John the Baptiser set the standard when he said, concerning the Lord Jesus, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30)?

The Professor pointed to a “vocal minority of influential minds” which, he claimed, mocks and ridicules the faith.  He made reference to what he described as “the fairy-tale of atheism”.  In what may have been perceived (if Prof. L spoke after the PM) as a direct reference to the latter's claim, he stated that “We are in danger of forgetting the contribution of Christianity to the moral foundations of our society.”

One does wonder which of these two men was speaking from the heart; and which was playing to his audience!   I suppose that it could suggested that, while one may take the man out of PR (Public Relations), one cannot take the PR out of the man!