Is Cameron’s assertion that Britain is a Christian country correct?
Two Voices: this week our weekly progressive Judaism debate tackles…British faith
Is David Cameron’s assertion that Britain is a Christian country correct?
-
Rabbi Shulamit AmbaluRabbi Shulamit Ambalu says…
Jews will always see that Britain is a Christian country.
They will see it in public spaces, in the rhythm of the year, in the prevalence of Christian schools, in the history of its
universities.
As a rabbi, I am fascinated by the power potential of religious symbols. Look at the coins in your wallet bearing these words: “Elizabeth II D.G F D. meaning Dei Gratia, Fidei Defensor. By the Grace of God, Defender of The Faith.”
The power of the established church is absorbed into our nation’s very fabric.
A hundred years on from the First World War, modern nations grapple with how to include and empower ethnic and religious minorities.
Yet here, where some might say the Church of England with its 26 seats in the House of Lords has too much power,
we make full use of our freedoms.
Yes, there are vestiges of anti-Semitism, but we are free to challenge them.
David Cameron describes his Christian faith as “woolly”, struggling to find words to express the real power of a liberal religious outlook.
It is a struggle all religious liberals – regardless of faith – now share, as well as a vital contemporary question, because these values should continue to be the grounding of religious responsibility and freedom.
• Shulamit Ambalu is rabbi at Milton Keynes and District Reform Synagogue
- Gabriel Pogrund says…
When it comes to church and state,
Israel and Britain are like chalk and cheese, or Jerusalem stone and Wensleydale, though both countries have recently shown how problematic binding a country to one faith can be.
David Cameron’s reference to Britain as Christian and the demand for Palestinians to recognise Israel as a “Jewish state” have for different reasons provoked great opposition. British Jewry has not formally responded to the Prime Minister’s recent statement although historically, the community has been faithful to Britain’s religious establishment.
One indication is the prayer for the Queen and Royal family, dating to 1642, which expresses our gratitude as citizens.
Three centuries on, Jews stand alongside Christians, Muslims and Hindus on occasions such as Remembrance Day.
Walk from the Cenotaph to Trafalgar Square one month on and you’ll find a Chanukiah occupying centre stage. These symbols are a living response to the “Christian country” comment and should inform Jewish responses to it.
Because even if Christian by name, Britain is pluralistic by nature. Cameron himself says diversity “is our island story”.
Britain’s nominal Christianity threatens neither our Judaism nor our Britishness, meaning there is no need for a Jewish
answer to this prickly question.
• Gabriel Pogrund is a member of West London Synagogue and studies geography at University College London
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
