The Liberal Party in Britain has a new leader, Nick Clegg. It won't be surprising if people outside the UK aren't aware of this fact: not too many Britons know or care either!

However, the Liberals are Britain's 3rd largest political party and do have a voice in politics. Theoretically, its leader could be our next Prime Minister. So it was a newsworthy event when Clegg admitted he didn't believe in God. No-body seems to have made any objection as a result of this revelation, but a former leader of the party, Lord Steel (who happens to be the son of a former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland) has rushed to his defence anyway, by saying that it is not important that Clegg doesn't believe in God; it's a personal matter.

Even the Archbishop of Canterbury said he prefers to know what a man really thinks rather than he pretend to believe: but the Church of England never did major on faith!


Meanwhile, a noted British atheist, Richard Dawkins (some would call him a militant atheist, but I think that's going too far) has admitted he likes going to carol services and joins in singing "with gusto". Dawkins says that singing a carol does not require belief in God or Christ any more than reading "Wuthering Heights" requires you to believe that Heathcliffe existed.


So, my questions are,

(1) Should leading politicians admit they are atheists where this is so, or hide the fact?

(2) Should self-proclaimed atheists participate in Christian activities such as Carol Services at Christmastime?

TYWD

PS: I should declare an interest. I do not believe in God, but I married a Roman Catholic and sent my children to a Catholic School. And I love going to Midnight Mass at Christmas.