In the past decade Christianity has tumbled from British life. Although in 2001 over 70% of British citizens identified themselves as Christians, in the same year 65% claimed that they do not believe in God. Believe what you will, Christianity is on it's way out in Britian, the estimated proportion of Atheists/Agnostics rising from 14% to 31-44% between 1991 and 2005. Just between 1998 and 1999 church attendance fell from 20,327 to 19,843. If the trend continues 81-94% of the population will be Agnostic/Atheist by 2035, and church attendance will have fallen to about 1,800. Although this is quite unrealistic statistically, such falls tend to flatten out, it shows a bleak, and welcome, future for the Christian churches.
That was, before Blair stuck his foot in it. Yesterday he spoke before a large audience at Westminster Cathedral on how faith should be the solution to the world's problems (this coming from a reborn Christian, the evangelical type, the type who shotgun doctors in America for carrying out abortions). This contained such jewels as "is faith important?... It's like asking is health important, or your family", "the world will be immeasurably poorer, more dangerous, more fragile, and above all more dangerous... if it is without a strong spiritual dimension" and "this is a purpose uniquely found kneeling before God". To not beat around the bush, he has made a farce of himself. Tony Blair has arguably been one of the three greatest Prime Ministers of the century, bridging between two centuries in a way those like Chirac were unable to. Since his resignation he has only redoubled his respect, working in the middle east and in corporate banking, going beyond his political career. However, with his conversion to Catholicism and newfound religious arrogance he has lost everything to nearing a third of the nation's population. In his declaration that without faith the world will fall he has attempted vainly to oppose the trend, that of good health and education. Education, not so remarkably, coinciding with secularism and non-theism. Blair has chosen the loosing team, and if he is not careful, he will be dragged down with them as surely as America was.
In fact, he dragged America, not well regarded by Europeans, into the debate, claiming religion was not in decline and acts of terrorism had highlighted the fact that "we ignore the power of religion at our peril". Well yes, we do. If we ignore religion and let it continue as it is, we will suffer for it, it is only by extinguishing its influence that we can remove this terror.
"Religious faith is a good thing in itself that so far from being a reactionary force - it is a major part to play in shaping values which guide the modern world and can and should be a force for progress," he said. Religion, itself does not. It's fall, however, has much gain to be had from for the world.
Mugabe strikes back
In a not too surprising turn of events Mugabe has turned to his favorite tool in a time of need, violence and intimidation. Following his defeat in the parliamentary election he has achieved what he threatened the opposition not to, panic and turn to violence. Not only has he called for a recount in a desperate attempt to win back the majority, come to his support are war veterans protected by Mugabe-loyal police forces, raiding and pillaging opposition officers and seizing western journalists and democracy supporters. We can only hope that Zimbabwe doesn't go back to Mugabe and his dictatorship, else he will drag all of central Africa down with his own country.
