THE TELEGRAPH: Britain has become an "unfriendly" place for religious people to live, according to the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor claims that the rise of secularism has led to a liberal society, hostile to Christian morals and values, in which religious belief is viewed as "a private eccentricity" and the voice of faith groups is marginalised.
The cardinal warns that Britain shows signs of degenerating into a country free of morals, because of its rejection of traditional values and its new emphasis on the rights of the individual.
There are now "serious tensions" between Christians and secularist society, he says, in which atheists are becoming more "vocal and aggressive".
Writing in a book on multiculturalism, to be published on Monday, the Cardinal argues that immigrants have a duty to adjust to British life, but expresses concern that they are faced with a culture that is increasingly repressive and intolerant. He says that while the country has become more diverse and pluralistic, the Christian values which have shaped its identity should not be abandoned.
he book, called Faith in the Nation, is published by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), with the backing of the Prime Minister. In it the cardinal says: "Religious belief of any kind tends now to be treated more as a private eccentricity than as the central and formative element in British society that it is.
"Although the tone of public discussion is sceptical or dismissive rather than antireligious, atheism has become more vocal and aggressive."
Britain's most senior Catholic leader says that the "unfriendly climate for people of all faiths" has united the country's three major faiths, Christianity, Judaism and Islam. >>> By Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent | December 6, 2008
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