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Leader of UK Lib Dem Party Says He Doesn't Believe in God
Via NY Transfer News Collective All the News that Doesn't Fit
[The Brits have gotten rid of Tony Blair, who's run off and officially
joined the Roman Catholic Church. Maybe they're ready to get rid of
Labour entirely -- at least the Liberal Democrats have someone who
isn't lost in the superstitious supernatural beliefs of
Christianity.-NYTr]
BBC News - Dec 20, 2007
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7151346.stm
Clegg 'does not believe in God'
New Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has answered "no" when asked on
BBC radio if he believed in God.
The rapid-fire question and answer format on 5 Live meant the
40-year-old did not have the chance to elaborate.
He later said he had "enormous respect for people who have religious
faith", that his wife is Catholic and that his children are being
brought up Catholic.
Last month, former PM Tony Blair said he had not talked much about his
faith for fear of being labelled a "nutter".
Reshuffle
The radio interview with Mr Clegg, MP for Sheffield Hallam, came ahead
of a reshuffle of the Lib Dem frontbench team expected over the next
few days.
Asked whether he had ever taken illegal drugs, he replied: "I'm going
to cast a veil over that. It's the one thing I agree with David Cameron
on. I think politicians are entitled to a private life before they go
into politics."
And asked if he believed in God, he said: "No."
In later comments to the BBC News website, Mr Clegg added: "I have
enormous respect for people who have religious faith, I'm married to a
Catholic and am committed to bringing my children up as Catholics.
"However, I myself am not an active believer, but the last thing I
would do when talking or thinking about religion is approach it with a
closed heart or a closed mind."
Mr Clegg was joined on his first day in the job by musician Brian Eno,
whom he has brought in as an adviser on how to "reach out beyond
Westminster to people who don't get a say in politics".
Mr Clegg said: "I will fight for a society where everyone gets a fair
chance in life, and no-one is condemned by the circumstances of their
birth.
"Education has got to be front and centre of Britain's agenda if we're
going to make that happen. So I will raise funding for the poorest
children to the levels in private schools.
"And every family must be free from poverty, and feel they have a
voice, and a stake, in Britain today."
'People's politics'
Mr Clegg added: "That requires a new kind of politics - a people's
politics. If politics is going to solve the problems of people's
everyday lives, we need to listen to people, and act on what they say."
Later the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, reacted to Mr
Clegg's declaration.
Dr Williams told Radio 5 Live presenter Simon Mayo: "It matters less to
me than to know they are honest and reliable and that what beliefs they
have they hold sincerely.
"This isn't a country where Christianity is imposed by law. It's a
country with a nominally Christian majority. And that's good.
"And whoever becomes prime minister has to understand that and work
with it rather than against the grain of it."
Last month, Mr Blair told the BBC his Christian faith had been "hugely
important" to his premiership, but that he had been wary of discussing
it in case he was labelled a "nutter".
His ex-spokesman Alastair Campbell once told reporters: "We don't do
God."
Current Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the son of a church minister, is
also a Christian who has spoken of his father's advice acting as his
"moral compass".
Mr Clegg, an MP since 2005, beat Chris Huhne to the Lib Dem leadership
by 20,988 votes to 20,477 - a margin of just 511.
Mr Clegg's election follows a two-month contest caused by the
resignation of Sir Menzies Campbell.
(c) BBC MMVII
=================================================================
NY Transfer News Collective A Service of Blythe Systems
Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us
Our main website: http://www.blythe.org
List Archives: http://blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/
Subscribe: http://blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr
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Hash: SHA1
Leader of UK Lib Dem Party Says He Doesn't Believe in God
Via NY Transfer News Collective All the News that Doesn't Fit
[The Brits have gotten rid of Tony Blair, who's run off and officially
joined the Roman Catholic Church. Maybe they're ready to get rid of
Labour entirely -- at least the Liberal Democrats have someone who
isn't lost in the superstitious supernatural beliefs of
Christianity.-NYTr]
BBC News - Dec 20, 2007
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7151346.stm
Clegg 'does not believe in God'
New Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has answered "no" when asked on
BBC radio if he believed in God.
The rapid-fire question and answer format on 5 Live meant the
40-year-old did not have the chance to elaborate.
He later said he had "enormous respect for people who have religious
faith", that his wife is Catholic and that his children are being
brought up Catholic.
Last month, former PM Tony Blair said he had not talked much about his
faith for fear of being labelled a "nutter".
Reshuffle
The radio interview with Mr Clegg, MP for Sheffield Hallam, came ahead
of a reshuffle of the Lib Dem frontbench team expected over the next
few days.
Asked whether he had ever taken illegal drugs, he replied: "I'm going
to cast a veil over that. It's the one thing I agree with David Cameron
on. I think politicians are entitled to a private life before they go
into politics."
And asked if he believed in God, he said: "No."
In later comments to the BBC News website, Mr Clegg added: "I have
enormous respect for people who have religious faith, I'm married to a
Catholic and am committed to bringing my children up as Catholics.
"However, I myself am not an active believer, but the last thing I
would do when talking or thinking about religion is approach it with a
closed heart or a closed mind."
Mr Clegg was joined on his first day in the job by musician Brian Eno,
whom he has brought in as an adviser on how to "reach out beyond
Westminster to people who don't get a say in politics".
Mr Clegg said: "I will fight for a society where everyone gets a fair
chance in life, and no-one is condemned by the circumstances of their
birth.
"Education has got to be front and centre of Britain's agenda if we're
going to make that happen. So I will raise funding for the poorest
children to the levels in private schools.
"And every family must be free from poverty, and feel they have a
voice, and a stake, in Britain today."
'People's politics'
Mr Clegg added: "That requires a new kind of politics - a people's
politics. If politics is going to solve the problems of people's
everyday lives, we need to listen to people, and act on what they say."
Later the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, reacted to Mr
Clegg's declaration.
Dr Williams told Radio 5 Live presenter Simon Mayo: "It matters less to
me than to know they are honest and reliable and that what beliefs they
have they hold sincerely.
"This isn't a country where Christianity is imposed by law. It's a
country with a nominally Christian majority. And that's good.
"And whoever becomes prime minister has to understand that and work
with it rather than against the grain of it."
Last month, Mr Blair told the BBC his Christian faith had been "hugely
important" to his premiership, but that he had been wary of discussing
it in case he was labelled a "nutter".
His ex-spokesman Alastair Campbell once told reporters: "We don't do
God."
Current Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the son of a church minister, is
also a Christian who has spoken of his father's advice acting as his
"moral compass".
Mr Clegg, an MP since 2005, beat Chris Huhne to the Lib Dem leadership
by 20,988 votes to 20,477 - a margin of just 511.
Mr Clegg's election follows a two-month contest caused by the
resignation of Sir Menzies Campbell.
(c) BBC MMVII
=================================================================
NY Transfer News Collective A Service of Blythe Systems
Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us
Our main website: http://www.blythe.org
List Archives: http://blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/
Subscribe: http://blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr
=================================================================
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