CHRISTIANITY, the majority faith of Britain, is being systematically marginalised by combination of breath-taking political arrogance, and well- meaning political correctness.

In fact, at times it seems as though we nowadays resemble a cartoon character sawing away on a branch on which we are sitting only to find out too late that with the last push of the saw we will plunge to our ruin.

Make no mistake, our laws, literature and national character are hewn out of our national religion - Christianity.

Spires

To understand our history, you have to understand our faith. Even our landscape is dotted with the spires, steeples and church towers of old. Our days are punctuated by the sound of the church clock ringing the hour.

So why do I say that Christianity is being marginalised when it is such a prominent feature of our national life - to the extent that 72 per cent of people in the 2001 census labelled themselves as Christian?

This vital connection between the Christian faith and the British people is increasingly disregarded by our political leaders and our civil servants.

SUCHET: Spoke out

I first noticed this dislocation over a decade ago when the Millennium celebrations were being planned. As Archbishop of Canterbury it was my job to talk with the government about the role the Church should play. It was amazing to see this basic ignorance about the millennium's religious dimension.

We weren't just celebrating a meaningless date; the western calendar itself flowed from a fixed point - the year of our Lord, anno domini.

The problems seem have worsened in my successor's time.

Dr Rowan Williams recently argued that the Government treats Christians as 'eccentrics'.

In spite of the fact that it was the Church of England that pioneered Britain's schooling system, demands are increasingly made to secularise our successful church schools as well as successful Jewish schools.

Religious charities, the single largest part of the voluntary sector, find it increasingly difficult to get public funding for their activities.

And Christians in both public and private sectors are under extreme pressure to hide their faith away.

Many readers will remember the controversy in 2006 over the disciplining of a BA worker, Nadia Eweida, for wearing a crucifix.

A more recent case this year concerned a nurse who feared for her job after wearing a cross on duty.

Shirley Chaplin was told that after nearly 30 years in her job she could be suspended if she did not remove her cross or accept an administrative role instead of front- line nursing.

Olive Jones, a teacher in Nailsea was recently sacked for offering to pray for a sick pupil. The 54-year-old said: "I feel I'm persecuted for speaking about my faith in a country that is supposed to be Christian."

It is not just church leaders who have noticed this harsh climate for Christians, the famous actor, David Suchet, recently claimed that Britain was risking the loss of Christianity.

Famous for playing the Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, the 63- year-old actor, said that Christianity is increasingly marginalised citing the withdrawal of funding to a Christian charity.

NADIA: With cross

"We should embrace all religions and marginalise none," he said. "But we seem more concerned with marginalising Christianity, and not offending other faiths."

On the horizon lies an even more chilling threat to Christianity in the form of the Equality Bill.

This piece of legislation which the government is determined to put on the statute book before the General Election, ostensibly aims simply to 'tidy up' all the existing legislation on equal opportunities.

Stand

The problem is that it removes existing exemptions for churches and other faith bodies which allows them to employ people whose beliefs and lifestyles are in accordance with the faith they represent.

Tory peer Baroness O'Cathain said recently that the Equality Bill was, for Christian freedom, the "single most damaging Bill" to come before her in 18 years as a member of the House of Lords.

It is time for the silent majority in this country to stand up to governments and civil servants who seem determined to stamp out the Christian character of this nation either for fear of causing offence to those of other faiths, or through hostility to faith itself.

Now please don't get me wrong. Tolerance and inclusion are prized words for me.

But I now find myself saying that Christians may themselves have to engage in civil disobedience to stand up against Governments which arrogantly act under the delusion that every problem and every detail of modern life can be fixed with yet another piece of legislation - sometimes ill-thought through.

Indeed, thousands of new laws have been created since 1997 with countless regulations coming from Brussels or Westminster.

With passion I say - enough is enough.

ROOM AT THE INN

THERE was room at the inn this Christmastide. There have been countless heartwarming stories of stranded motorists being taken in by local people.

One couple even gave up their own beds and slept on the couch after holidaymakers returning from France were unable to find a hotel room in Basingstoke.

The John Lewis store opened its bed department in High Wycombe to staff and customers cut off by heavy snowfall. We often think of modern Britain as a harsher, more selfish place but at times of crisis the 'Blitz-spirit' is rekindled. Christmas kindness is still alive in Britain: let's continue it into 2010.

A Very Happy New Year to you all.

• Lord Carey of Clifton writes for NOTW
• BA victory is another nail in the coffin of Christianity

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