God's role in politics

ed fisjer

After last weeks drivel it'll be a long time before I take anything that Liddle has to say seriously.

Richard Bale

Spot on Rod as almost always

Jay Collins

Why is there a "sic" in the following sentence, from the article? ‘Worship anyone you like, Blair seems to be saying, as long as you believe in the existence [sic] of the Anglo-American “War on Terror”.’ Is there something wrong with the word "existence" here?

Cogito Ergosum

It reminds me of the time I asked a horse if it had any problems.

"Nay", it replied.

Such is religious certitude.

tom

"...a commitment to plurality of belief systems"? What that?

Herbert Thornton

Very interesting - Ron Liddle now knows what went on in Tony Blair's mind over several years, and sneers at Blair for being insincere.

Then he tells us that Inayat Bunglawala and The Muslim Council of Britain have suddenly modified their relationships with Allah and have become secular. In their case however, his mind-resading ability prevents him from sneering. He wants us to believe that they, unlike Tony Blair, are completely sincere.

Pull the other one, Ron.

Nigel Ford

But rather than down playing his religous convictions, Blair did make great play of his supposed Christian beliefs as Leader of the Opposition back in the mid 90's which helped him successfully win over Middle England. When he reached No 10, the press kept telling us he was the most devout PM since Gladstone so his faith was hardly a secret. Unlike Bush however, I could however never square his stance on social issues like abortion, homosexuality and divorce where his voting record could be mistaken for a libertarian or militant atheist and ran counter to most people's interpretation of biblical teaching. Still unlike many others I knew he was a phoney all along.

Nigel Ford

But rather than down playing his religous convictions, Blair did make great play of his supposed Christian beliefs as Leader of the Opposition back in the mid 90's which helped him successfully win over Middle England. When he reached No 10, the press kept telling us he was the most devout PM since Gladstone so his faith was hardly a secret. Unlike Bush however, I could however never square his stance on social issues like abortion, homosexuality and divorce where his voting record could be mistaken for a libertarian or militant atheist and ran counter to most people's interpretation of biblical teaching. Still unlike many others I knew he was a phoney all along.

Dwight Vandryver

Another disjointed and rambling article from our Rod. If UK society were simply a post-Christian one, things would be simpler. Unfortunately, Islam introduces an alien set of values into an indigenous population who, historically, have learnt the hard way that it is better to keep God as a personal belief, while allowing the practicalities of life to be determined by non-religious political discourse. The Blair years were a disgrace. As a Briton, it is difficult to associate oneself with pre-emptive war. Yet, these are the facts: if 9/11 had not happened, Iraq War 2 would not have happened, neither would 7/7. Let us remember that the aftermath of Iraq War 1 left Saddam in power and with good reason. The Irish troubles and the post-Yugoslavian split were indicators that religious factionalism would keep the peacekeepers embroiled for years or decades. The West understood it then, but failed to understand it after 9/11. History was thrown to the wind and the need to satisfy the American electorate became paramount, especially as Bin Laden was not to be found. Mr. Blair saw his opportunity to become what history books might call "a knight in shining armour", basking in the reflected light of The President of the one and only superpower. Yes, remember Hans Blix, WMDs delivered to our shores within 15 minutes, "sex-up" dossiers, Andrew Gilligan, Greg Dyke and the taming of the BBC, post-Hutton. And all to satisfy one man's vainglory. A sorry footnote in history, the consequences of which we are yet to rue.

gerry

"...a commitment to plurality of belief systems"? What that? Tom, to me it suggests an implicit assumption that, being mutually self-contradictory, they're all a load of codswallop.

K.Vijayakumar

If there is any role for God in politics, it is to keep the Bushes and Blairs of the political world a wide berth and make them stew in their own juice. God, as of now, seems to be doing just that to Tony and George.W.

Peter Gompertz

and as someone once said " only fools are certain, intelligent people always have doubts'

Stephen

I still think Blair is essentially a good man. The election of G. Bush was the end of his run of good fortune. Al Gore would have (I hope) avoided the crazy neo con nonesense and TB would have worked closely with him as he did with Bill Clinton.

rod liddle

The "sic" was there because I assume Hind chose the wrong word; we all believe in the existence of the war against terror. It's the questionable rectitude of it which bothers some of us. Commitment to a plurality of belief systems? Simply an acknowledgement that people should be allowed to believe what they like, I suppose, and that there will always be those who disagree with you. Dwight: I'M disjointed and rambling???!!

Gervas Douglas

It is becoming increasingly apparent that Tony "Miranda" Blair is mad as well as bad. How could the British electorate re-elect such a demented psychopath twice?

Andrew

Not the best article I've read from Rod I'm afraid. Less of this sort of mock polemics and more of your usual genuine wit in 2008 please. Happy Christmas

Russ USA

Hmmm...God's role in Politics... Let's try this little thought on for political guidance: "Virtue is God’s Law. It is under the patronage and protection of a rewarding and avenging Deity. —By his unalterable will, virtue and happiness are, in the ultimate result, bound together in an indissoluable chain. Think not, short-sighted presumptuous mortal, to make a computation about the possible advantage of doing wrong in a single instance. Never imagine that you have an inducement to attempt to serve or deliver yourself by a departure from right—or any reason to be discouraged from duty by a doubt of final support and reward. Say you that natural religion leaves these truths open to question? we have the articulate voice of God,[ the Bible] an extraordinary light from heaven to dispel every doubt, to make them clear and certain." Pretty clear "God role" here, it should humble every living human being, let alone those who talk "Faith." Incidentally, the quote is from an 1816 Election Discourse to Massachusetts politcians by John Thornton Kirkland, D.D. (b. 1770- d. 1840). He served as President, Harvard University, Nov. 14, 1810 to April 2, 1828. B.A, Harvard, 1789, M.A., Harvard, 1792, also Dartmouth, 1792, Brown, 1794, S.T.D. Princeton, 1802, L.L.D., Brown, 1810.

Brian in South Korea

A very well written article, Mr. Liddle! Your work is always a pleasure to read, but this article is profound as well. What you write about the lack of humility in Blair's Christianity seems to me true about evangelical Christianity in general.

eliXelx

Ah! Yes! The God of public opinion! Is that the God you're appealing to in this article, Rod? 'Cos if you are yo will soon find that this God, unlike Tony's God, is fickle and inconstant. You make God into a bad word, Rod, and you make a rod for your own back! Did your daddy beat you with that rod, Rod?

Demetrios Hadjinicolaou

The Lord God-Man, Jesus Christ has been sinless and faultless and has never admitted to any mistake, for He has never made any; don't blashpeme, Mr Liddle.