Putting Words in My Mouth

Putting words in my mouth is never a sage passtime. However, a new campaign by some Christians has annoyed me somewhat.

They are Not Ashamed - of what, you ask? Of being Christians - that's what.

Marvellous - but when were any of us ever ashamed of our Gospel and our Christ? Not even for a second, Drs Carey and Nazir-Ali - not even for a second.

The aim is noble - to place Christianty at the heart of national life, but Jesus 'the only true hope'? I think that even Jesus would argue with that - as hope springs from the goodness that is an all people, even grumpy-nuts sitting here writing this.

And such a negative approach. 'Not Ashamed' is a little passive-aggressive for my tastes. A campaign to inject Christian morality into the life of our wonderful nation would surely have been just as potent under the banner 'Proud', or even 'Saved' or something equally cringeworthy. This assumes that Christians are ashamed and that we shouldn't be. I have never in my life met an ashamed Christian - just ones trying to do their bit, insufficiently in the eyes of the two senior clerics it seems. Actually, Christians are the least ashamed people I have met when touching on the subject of their faith. 

Now, some of the divisive outbursts by the former Primate to undermine his successor - now they are things that might be material where a little 'shame' labelling might not go amiss.