Church Of England Slammed For General Election Guidelines: 12 Times The Church Meddled In Poltics
12 Times That Prove 'Meddling' Church Has Always Stuck Its Nose Into Politics
Louise Ridley— The Huffington Post UK
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The Church of England's leading bishops have claimed they have a "duty" to discuss politics - but their 52-page manifesto for the general election has drawn bitter complaints of left-wing "Tory-bashing".
But the Church of England and Catholic Church have always been political - ever since Henry II famously said "will no-one rid me of this troublesome priest?" in reference to his ill-fated advisor Thomas Beckett.
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Justin Welby is one of many outspoken bishops
And the CoE doesn't mind being a bunch of troublesome priests. It even makes that point in its lengthy voting document, saying: "Some people, including some in the positions of influence in the media, politics and elsewhere, claim that religion and politics cannot mix.
"[But] it is not possible to separate the way a person perceives his or her place in the created order from their beliefs, religious or otherwise, about how the world’s affairs ought to be arranged."
Elizabeth Oldfield, the director of Christian think tank Theos, told The Huffington Post UK last year: "Church voices don't fit easily into either party, many leaders are socially conservative, but also welfarist, pro-immigration. You can't fit the church in a box of left or right. This means they are always being critical, and tend to annoy most governments."
As these 12 examples show, the UK's Christian figures have a long history of sticking their noses into politics, but often at the expense of Tory policies.
10 Times The Church Intervened In British Politics
Thatcherism(01 of12)
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In 1996, Catholic bishops made a bold attack on the ethical basis of Thatcherism - what they saw as "rampant capitalism". The radical 'Common Good', statement by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales called for a fair wage and an end to the "greed is good" culture. This was widely seen as an endorsement of Tony Blair's New Labour party, which came to power just a year later - on a promise of a minimum wage. (credit:roberthuffstutter/Flickr)
Standing up to a King(02 of12)
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The original cautionary tale for religious figures looking to make their mark on politics is Thomas Beckett. In the 1100s, King Henry II of England made Beckett chancellor, then archbishop. The two became good friends, but that all ended when Beckett refused to give Henry power over the church - and was subsequently murdered by the monarch's knights. (credit:Jules & Jenny/Flickr)
Same-sex marriage(03 of12)
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After originally denouncing the same sex marriage bill, the Church of England gave up its fight in 2013 and decided to engage with the process, rather than oppose it. The Rt Revd Tim Stevens, Bishop of Leicester, who sits in the House of Lords, said his role was to "join with other members in the task of considering how this legislation can be put into better shape.” (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Don't forget how the CoE started... (04 of12)
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The very formation of the Church of England was primarily a political act. Henry VII, infuriated by the pope's refusal to grant him a divorce, set up his own church so that he could make the rules instead. (credit:VisitBritain/Britain on View via Getty Images)
Immigration(05 of12)
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Last year, Vincent Nichols, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, slammed political leaders for their "discourse of fear" around immigration. Nichols - the most senior Roman Catholic in Britain - said migrant workers were essential in large cities such as London, claiming: "It is perfectly clear in this city if you are up early and on the tubes early in the morning, the people coming in to this city to make sure it carries on working are the immigrant communities." (credit:Konstantin Grishin via Getty Images)
Welfare cuts(06 of12)
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David Cameron probably wasn't a fan of many Church of England bishops when they told him last year that his welfare cuts were causing a 'national crisis', in a blistering open letter. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Poverty(07 of12)
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In his 2015 book 'On Rock or Sand', CofE archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu warned that the poor are being left behind by today's government and society - and entire cities are in danger of being cast aside. (credit:psd/Flickr)
Voting(08 of12)
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In a direct challenge to the political system, ten senior Church of England bishops came out in favour of the alternative vote system in 2011. One argued that we must move away from our first-past-the-post voting system "on the grounds of justice and accountability". But the 'no' lobby hit back saying the debate shouldn't be a "moral crusade". (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Energy prices(09 of12)
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Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, gave a damning view of staggering energy price hikes in 2013, saying the companies behind them should "show generosity...not just maximise their profits". (credit:Rui Vieira/PA Wire)
Fracking?(10 of12)
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In 2013, residents in England received letters from the Land Registry, saying the Church of England was seeking to register the mineral rights to the earth beneath their property. This odd correspondence sparked fears the church could be getting involved in the controversial practice of fracking. The church said it had “no particular plans to mine under any property” - but didn't rule out using the drilling process to extract gas. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
The coalition in general(11 of12)
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Rowan Williams accused the coalition of forcing through "radical policies for which no one voted" in 2011, calling the Tories' flagship 'Big Society' idea "painfully stale". (credit:WPA Pool via Getty Images)
Being Victorian(12 of12)
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The Rev David Walker said George Osborne's view of the poor "has no place in our society outside the pages of a Victorian novel,” trashing what he saw as the government's attempt to 'scapegoat' the country's less well off people. (credit:Imagno via Getty Images)