In the last few weeks God has been in the news a lot.

From Christian prayers in Council meetings, to statements from the highest echelons of the Royal family and the Government, discussion of the place of God and in particular the role of Christianity in Britain today has been in the news on a daily basis. The Archbishop of Canterburys debate with Professor Richard Dawkins in Oxford on Gods existence captured the twittersphere as Dawkins was quoted as being agnostic about belief in God. It seems it is now acceptable to discuss the Christian faith and belief in God in public. From radio studios to the school gate I have enjoyed being a part of this. The role of God in Britain is being discussed up and down the country in government, education, legislation and community life in a way that I cant remember in recent history. This is a huge opportunity. The secularists tell us that nothing good comes from religion but isnt it actually the case that it is our Christian heritage that actually provides us with a free and open society encouraging people to question and reason for themselves? For many people religious faith is a process, a journey of discovery on the basis of evidence, reason and personal experience. Christianity has provided the foundation in Britain for an open and tolerant society. It was the great Christian leader Augustine who coined the phrase tolerare malus he claimed that political structure influenced by the Christian faith must tolerate that which it disagreed with and perceived as wrong for the greater good of freedom. Freedom and tolerance of others arise from a worldview a set of values and beliefs that are conducive to liberty, they do not come about by random chance. In Britain this foundation or worldview has undeniably been the Christian faith. But this seems to fly in the face of the claims made by leading atheists that belief in God is delusional and oppressive and that people in Britain are not truly religious anyway. Invoking what has come to be known by sociologists as the secularization thesis they tell us that modern countries eventually turn their back on spiritual belief. That as people progress they become less religious. However the myth of secularization has plainly not panned out and it has been soundly debunked within academia. The leading sociologist Mary Douglas announced the death of the secularization theory in 1982 in an essay that began with the words, Events have taken religious studies by surprise. Even prominent proponents of

secularization like sociologist Peter Berger have now abandoned it since the world is plainly becoming more religious not less.

So Is Britain still a Christian country? Our most profound laws and rights, and the concept of the dignity of the human person expounded in the Magna Carta arise from a Christian vision and assume Gods existence. Our greatest social reform movements from the abolition of the slave trade to the reform of child labour laws, and many other justice movements are the bequest of our Christian heritage as a country. Britain has benefitted so much in our history from Christianity and this continues today as we see the values of a tolerant society envisaged by St Augustine where Rowan Williams and Richard Dawkins can debate without fear of reprisals. Does everyone in Britain agree with the central tenets of the Christian faith? No of course not, but does our Christian heritage make a way for peace, courteous debate, tolerance, inclusion and freedom? I believe it does. But as Christians going about our every day lives, are we able to speak confidently and warmly about the person of Christ who has inspired so much that is good about our society? Or are we silenced by a fear of seeming intellectually unsophisticated? Last month I was privileged to be leading a university mission in the north of England. It was freezing cold and we were holding a series of events for students in a marquee in the snow. This particular university is known for its nightlife and on the surface it seemed under the circumstances to be a very unlikely place for people to be turning to Christ in any significant number. My team and I were so humbled to see over 40 students make professions of faith in Christ for the first time and 139 signed up asking to find out more about the Christian faith. As people up and down the country discuss belief in God and the newspapers keep running stories about Christianity we are seeing a greater openness to speak about the gospel in Britain. Who knows this may be a window that is open for a few weeks or months, or it may be a more significant change. Either way, are we ready and willing to take the opportunities to speak of Christ when they come?

Hi ruth can we add twitter @amyorrewing onto my bio?? Just trying to get established on twitter does Christianity have an account like Youthwork mag does??