TONY Blair famously didn't ‘do’ God while prime minister. His atheistic press secretary, Alistair Campbell, was at pains to keep his boss off the topic of religion.
Now, of course, Mr Blair runs a global "faith foundation", promoting dialogue between different beliefs and encouraging all to act as "forces for good".
He has revealed how his Christianity was "hugely important" to his premiership, but that he had not talked openly about it in case he were labelled a "nutter".
John Burton, Mr Blair’s agent in his Sedgefield constituency, was more forthcoming.
He claimed the former PM was driven by the view that "good should triumph over evil".
"It’s very simple to explain the idea of Blair the warrior," said Mr Burton. "It was part of Tony living out his faith."
David Cameron was "doing" God this weekend. The Tory leader, speaking about his Christian faith, said he did worship, but "not as regularly as I should".
"Do I drop to my knees and ask for guidance whenever an issue comes up?" he said.
"No, I don’t. But it is part of who I am."
It is the kind of reassuringly vague reference to Christianity that the British voters seem to like.
Too much, and you are a "nutter"; too little, though, and a lot of people get suspicious. It’s almost as if we know we shouldn’t mix religion and politics, but just can’t help it.
When Nick Clegg was "outed" as an atheist during a quick-fire radio interview, even the BBC reported it as the Liberal Democrat leader "sparking controversy" by admitting he had no religion.
Mr Clegg felt it necessary to add later that he was married to a Catholic and was "committed" to bringing up his children as Catholics.
It was the "some of my best friends..." defence; the traditional refuge of the guilty.
But why feel guilty about an honesty-held belief?
Perhaps Mr Clegg had one eye on America. There they have constitutional separation of church and state unlike in Britain, where bishops still sit in the House of Lords.
And yet, their politics is drowning in religion. Their last president reportedly told Palestinian ministers that God had instructed him to invade Iraq.
There is just one avowed atheist in congress Pete Stark, a Democrat from California. Even he felt able to "come out" only after more than two decades in office.
It is no surprise – around half the American population has consistently said it would not consider voting for a godless candidate.
If anything, the true figure will be higher.
What is the reasoning here? That an omnipotent God can think of no better way to influence human affairs than by beaming commands directly into the brain of George W Bush?
That he granted free will, only to over-rule it by acting as cosmic puppeteer to our politicians?
To accept that God has a direct role in politics is to abandon reason.
It begs awkward questions. Whose God? How much God? If another country’s God tells them to do something different – something we believe to be wrong – on what basis are we to object? That our God is better than theirs?
The building blocks of our morality – that human life is intrinsically valuable, that people should be free to make their own choices – are compatible with God, but don't require him.
They are simply facts about the universe as it is. You can ask questions about 'why', but only to a point.
After that it becomes meaningless – like asking why the earth moves round the sun, or 2+2=4, or why a particular sunset is beautiful.
Why is human life valuable? Ultimately, it just is. It is those building blocks that are important – not where they come from.
In which case, what matters with is politicians isn't why they believe something to be right, but what they believe to be right.
And yet we persist. We are deeply suspicious of our politicians. We tend to judge them on what we know about them – or what we think we know about them – as much as by what they do or say in public life.
We submit every aspect of their private lives to the closest of scrutiny.
How much time do they spend with their children? What clothes do their spouses wear? How often do they go to church?
The risk is we turn a legitimate interest in the character of our politicians into an unhealthy obsession with "personality".
Our MPs are there to make the right laws, the right choices. They do not have to be exactly like me; they do not have to get their beliefs from the same place as me.
Do I have a right to know what my MP believes?
Absolutely.
Do I have a right to know what those beliefs are based on?
Perhaps.
But should I judge them for that?
Absolutely not.
Dr Rowan Williams once said: "It matters less to me [whether a politician believes in God] than to know they are honest and reliable and that what beliefs they have they hold sincerely."
If the archbishop of Canterbury doesn't presume to involve God in politics, why on earth should we?
- Talk politics with David on his blog, log on to manchestereveningnews.co.uk or follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/davidottewell
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religion is for the weak
"It is the kind of reassuringly vague reference to Christianity that the British voters seem to like."
It's my experience that people generally don't do god in the UK. In fact, most find god and religion embarrassing - even more embarrassing and cringe worthy when politicians do it.
Perhaps faith-groups - who like most politicians spend a great deal of time seeking more power and privilege - give our politicians a distorted view of public opinion in general: giving our politicians the false impression that they need to do god to gain votes; when in reality, the majority of people couldn't careless.
Dangerous statement to make when in power, when you have blood on your hands.
I am no religious grinder and feel this only proves how, Catholic religion accepts all abusers without conditions attached. How long before BLair declares himself a man of god with a mission. No doubt nulabor voters will follow his carrion call.
Conscience is a powerful thing that can make you or break you. Religion is a good, bad conscience healer, that helps you to cope with your wrongs. The question is, are you ever really forgiven?. I believe don't go there in the first place. People who are involved with wrong end up going to church for forgiveness knowing the same thing carries on with other they leave in charge so you are still not helping yourself. If you are going to stand up and be counted, then do it proper.
Keep religion out of schools and politics, I've had enough of superstition dictating and shaping our society.
I'm sure many intelligent people pretending to be religious don't actually believe it's the truth of our existance, but rather use it to further themselves and their aims because lot's of people are brainwashed and it's a structure of power and influence, so they play the game for gain.
Englisc Stannes,
Was that meant to be 'carrion call' or 'clarion call'?
Idroid, city centre
17/11/2009 at 14:46
The problem is some people do believe rather than keep an open mind. And the mixing of religion with politics may lead to a dangerous period in our existence.
Lying and cheating, beating around the bush won't solve anything. Being on earth is like being trapped at times for many people. My view is that one nation out there at some point in the future is going to bring a holt to proceedings because they will get fed up.
Idiots ever see realization until it is too late.
Religion is not weak, people who fail to see that all belief systems are ways of coping with life are weak. "Religion" is just another work for belief systems that usually include God. All secular humanists are just as "religious" in the sense that they depend on their belief to deal with the world and the problems in their lives. Whether God exists or not is another issue.
"Opium of the masses"!
All religions have dogmatic rules invented by men to keep the weak minded in order!
And if God was so all knowing and powerful why do his churches (in which ever form they take) keep asking for money? He cant be that powerful if he hasn't mastered how to stay in the 'black' yet?
I don't know what you're waffling on about Mr. Ottwell? What's wrong with having a faith and wanting to do good in the world? In case you haven't noticed, we live in a free society where those who want to get to the top and make a difference do so. Maybe they get there and make a change in the world because they believe in God?
Examples are Wilberforce, Gandhi, Luther King, John Paul II, Einstein, Newton, Copernicus, Muhammad Ali, to name but a few (in politics).
Sorry, I respect Atheist views but there aren't many Atheists who have made a big difference in the world. Nick Clegg may be an Atheist, but he's hardly Mr Universe; the man who will change everything for the better.
Atheist humanism is all about the here and now, looking into our behaviour through science and rational. I would say science is far too complicated to be merged into a one-size-fits-all policy. The same with rational; too many people from different backgrounds sitting around, right leg over left, index finger over cheek, pondering over how to solve our problems. It just won't work. This way of thinking has filtered down into society: Work all week, battling in a judgemental society only to get wrecked at weekend (or, more precisely, every day) to nullify the nightmare of social engineering only to go back on Monday to do it all again.
And I thought Mr. Ottwell was pro-multiculturalism? You're hardly multicultural when you only vilify Christians. The House of Lords don't run our country. We live in a country where anyone can vote and where anyone can become an MP. The House of Lords are basically advisor's. There are also Jews and Muslims in the House of Lords!
Belief is purely a psychological process that takes place in the brain, which can have a positive effect on our wellbeing.
People who believe in Jesus or God do not get their strength direct from these two sources, as a Biblical God does not exist and the human being Jesus Christ possessed no special powers. The strength they get is from the mental process of belief itself.
The fact we still have publically funded Faith Schools, when faith should be a private matter does a huge disservice to our young who are taught to believe in the supernatural. The natural world is all we have and all we need.
John Paul IV
Surely if we have honest men and women of principle, who try hard to conduct their public and private lives according to their religious beliefs, whether they are Christian, Muslim, Jew, Buddhist or Hindu, it can only be a good thing for our society?
James Taylor, "Religion is not weak, people who fail to see that all belief systems are ways of coping with life are weak. "Religion" is just another work for belief systems that usually include God. All secular humanists are just as "religious" in the sense that they depend on their belief to deal with the world and the problems in their lives. Whether God exists or not is another issue."
You're wrong, religion is an ancient form of control, and when people put their faith into one of these higher powers, they stop trying to help themselves, and start accepting what ever happens as "gods will". this is no way for anyone to live their life. life is what you make of it, not what you get given "by the guy upstairs"