When exactly did the UK cease to be a Christian country? I wonder if it isn’t possible that we might be able to trace so many of the social problems this country faces back to the loss of the moral framework that Christianity provides.

Now, before getting too into this, lets get some of the groundwork clear. I was brought up, in South Africa, in a Christian home, although, admittedly, not one where going to church every Sunday was a common practice. Although we were far from perfect as a family, a strong moral code existed, based quite firmly on the Christian ethics of responsibility, reward for hard work, respect for authority and being grateful for what you were given.

The vast majority of the people I grew up with had been brought up following a very similar approach and although all of us got involved in our fair share of scrapes, very few managed to stray so far outside the code that they’d do irreparable damage to themselves or their loved ones. Sure, people disagreed, people fought, some kids stole and most of us lied at some stage. We all respected (and dare I say feared) our parents and teachers, though. And we never carried knives. We drank and got drunk, some of us smoked. A few got into drugs and fell by the wayside, but that was never the norm. We didn’t run amok, though and weren’t unruly and uncontrollable at any stage. And none of us ever killed anyone…

There was a time in my life – in fact, up until quite recently – that I wouldn’t have been caught dead writing any form of blog post defending Christianity. To me, it almost felt like a millstone around my neck, a long-dead relic of something that had lost its relevance in the modern world and something that conservative – generally right-wing – bigots clung to as a justification for their outdated and to me, morally reprehensible, world view. Christianity as the preserve and rallying call of the white Afrikaner in South Africa had a lot to answer for, as far as I was concerned. I would be at best cynical and at worst openly hostile to people who professed Christian beliefs, particularly if these came from what I considered the home of the hypocrite, America.

I’ve changed a fair bit in the last year, though and in becoming a somewhat regular churchgoer, have rediscovered the faith that I had all but given up. As I learn more, I am uncovering a very personal insight into Christianity – a lot more than the “bomb the love of Jesus into y’all” rhetoric that has become a byword for the religion thanks to the actions of the Dubya clan. Whatever else I have learned and now believe about God and Jesus Christ (which I may go into in more detail later), fundamental to me is the fact that Christianity as a faith and way of life is built on the foundation of tolerance, of forgiveness, of responsibility and, most importantly, of love for one another. Surely these things must be fundamental to a society that is whole, that is effective, that looks after the weak without needing to break down those who are stronger? A society where people respect one another, help one another and look after each other and their shared environment?

Now I’m not for an instant saying that Christianity is the only religion on which an effective society can be based – far from it. I’m also not saying that all Christians are necessarily implicitly moral, compassionate people, nor that non-Christians cannot be so. What I do believe, though, is that in a world where we unfortunately cannot expect every member of society to make the decisions that are in the best interests of that society, having a strong, shared religious framework can be a powerful guiding force, if not quite an “opiate”, as Marx would have put it.

This hypothesis is a work in progress, of course and I’ll expand on it further in future posts. I’d be interested to hear opinions on what I’ve put down thus far, though. Does religion, which has essentially been expunged from public life in this country in deference to political correctness, still have a role to play in the 21st Century? Is the UK still a Christian country and is the essentially Christian moral code still interwoven with the fabric of her society? Can churches play a role in rebuilding a sense of community and could this be a potential solution to the problem of feral youth? Am I completely barking mad and should I go and lie down for a while?

And can anyone spot the somewhat obscure song reference in the title of this post? Don’t all shout at once.