http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Trevor Phillips warned that "an old time religion incompatible with modern society" is driving the revival in the Anglican and Catholic Churches and clashing with mainstream views, especially on homosexuality.
He accused Christians, particularly evangelicals, of being more militant than Muslims in complaining about discrimination, arguing that many of the claims are motivated by a desire for greater political influence.
However the chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission expressed concern that people of faith are "under siege" from atheists whom he accused of attempting to "drive religion underground".
In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph ahead of a landmark report on religious discrimination in Britain, he said the Commission wants to protect Christians and Muslims from discrimination, admitting his body had not been seen to stand up for the people discriminated against because of their faith in the past.
In a wide-ranging intervention into the debate over the role of religion in modern Britain, Mr Phillips:
* warned it had become "fashionable" to attack and mock religion, singling out atheist polemicist Richard Dawkins for his views;
* said faith groups should be free from interference in their own affairs, meaning churches should be allowed to block women and homosexuals from being priests and bishops;
* attacked hardline Christian groups which he said were picking fights - particularly on the issue of homosexuality - for their own political ends;
* told churches and religious institutions they had to comply with equality legislation when they delivered services to the public as a whole.
The report, published by the Commission tomorrow, says that some religious groups have been the victims of rising discrimination over the last decade.
It shows that in the course of the last decade, the number of employment tribunal cases on religion or belief brought each year has risen from 70 to 1000 - although only a fraction of cases were upheld.
Mr Phillips spoke after a series of high-profile cases which have featured Christians claiming they have been discriminated against because of their beliefs, with a doctor currently fighting a reprimand from the General Medical Council for sharing his faith with a patient.
While the equalities boss promised to fight for the rights of Christians, he expressed concern that many cases were driven by fundamentalist Christians who are holding increasing sway over the mainstream churches because of the influence of African and Caribbean immigrants with "intolerant" views.
In contrast, Muslims are less vociferous because they are trying to integrate into British "liberal democracy", he said.
"I think there's an awful lot of noise about the Church being persecuted but there is a more real issue that the conventional churches face that the people who are really driving their revival and success believe in an old time religion which in my view is incompatible with a modern, multi-ethnic, multicultural society," Phillips said.
"Muslim communities in this country are doing their damnedest to try to come to terms with their neighbours to try to integrate and they're doing their best to try to develop an idea of Islam that is compatible with living in a modern liberal democracy.
"The most likely victim of actual religious discrimination in British society is a Muslim but the person who is most likely to feel slighted because of their religion is an evangelical Christian."
Senior clergy, including Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, have attacked equality laws for eroding Christianity and stifling free speech, but Phillips said many of the legal cases brought by Christians on issues surrounding homosexuality were motivated by an attempt to gain political influence.
"I think for a lot of Christian activists, they want to have a fight and they choose sexual orientation as the ground to fight it on," he said.
"I think the whole argument isn't about the rights of Christians. It's about politics. It's about a group of people who really want to have weight and influence."
He added: "There are a lot of Christian activist voices who appear bent on stressing the kind of persecution that I don't think really exists in this country."
However, Mr Phillips, who is a Salvationist from a strong Christian background, expressed concern over the rise in Britain of anti-religious voices, such as Richard Dawkins, who are intolerant of people of faith.
"I understand why a lot of people in faith groups feel a bit under siege," he said.
"There's no question that there is more anti-religion noise in Britain.
"There's a great deal of polemic which is anti-religious, which is quite fashionable."
Phillips said that the Commission is committed to protecting people of faith against discrimination and also defended the right of religious institutions to be free from Government interference.
The Church of England is under pressure to allow openly gay clergy to be made bishops, while the Catholic Church only permits men to be priests, but the head of the Government-funded equalities watchdog said they are entitled to rule on their own affairs.
"The law doesn't dictate their organisation internally, in the way they appoint their ministers and bishops for example," he said.
"It's perfectly fair that you can't be a Roman Catholic priest unless you're a man. It seems right that the reach of anti-discriminatory law should stop at the door of the church or mosque.
"I'm not keen on the idea of a church run by the state.
"I don't think the law should run to telling churches how they should conduct their own affairs."
The intervention by the Commission comes after criticism of its £70 million annual budget, which is to be cut drastically.
Mr Phillips, a former Labour chairman of the Greater London Assembly and television producer was criticised for his £110,000 a year salary and was accused of "pandering to the right" by Ken Livingstone, the former Labour London mayor, for saying that multiculturalism had failed.
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Christians are more militant than Muslims, says Government's equalities boss
Muslims are integrating into British society better than many Christians, according to the head of the Government's equality watchdog.
Trevor Phillips, Chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Photo: GRAHAM JEPSON
Trevor Phillips warned that "an old time religion incompatible with modern society" is driving the revival in the Anglican and Catholic Churches and clashing with mainstream views, especially on homosexuality.
He accused Christians, particularly evangelicals, of being more militant than Muslims in complaining about discrimination, arguing that many of the claims are motivated by a desire for greater political influence.
However the chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission expressed concern that people of faith are "under siege" from atheists whom he accused of attempting to "drive religion underground".
In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph ahead of a landmark report on religious discrimination in Britain, he said the Commission wants to protect Christians and Muslims from discrimination, admitting his body had not been seen to stand up for the people discriminated against because of their faith in the past.
In a wide-ranging intervention into the debate over the role of religion in modern Britain, Mr Phillips:
* warned it had become "fashionable" to attack and mock religion, singling out atheist polemicist Richard Dawkins for his views;
* said faith groups should be free from interference in their own affairs, meaning churches should be allowed to block women and homosexuals from being priests and bishops;
* attacked hardline Christian groups which he said were picking fights - particularly on the issue of homosexuality - for their own political ends;
* told churches and religious institutions they had to comply with equality legislation when they delivered services to the public as a whole.
The report, published by the Commission tomorrow, says that some religious groups have been the victims of rising discrimination over the last decade.
It shows that in the course of the last decade, the number of employment tribunal cases on religion or belief brought each year has risen from 70 to 1000 - although only a fraction of cases were upheld.
Mr Phillips spoke after a series of high-profile cases which have featured Christians claiming they have been discriminated against because of their beliefs, with a doctor currently fighting a reprimand from the General Medical Council for sharing his faith with a patient.
While the equalities boss promised to fight for the rights of Christians, he expressed concern that many cases were driven by fundamentalist Christians who are holding increasing sway over the mainstream churches because of the influence of African and Caribbean immigrants with "intolerant" views.
In contrast, Muslims are less vociferous because they are trying to integrate into British "liberal democracy", he said.
"I think there's an awful lot of noise about the Church being persecuted but there is a more real issue that the conventional churches face that the people who are really driving their revival and success believe in an old time religion which in my view is incompatible with a modern, multi-ethnic, multicultural society," Phillips said.
"Muslim communities in this country are doing their damnedest to try to come to terms with their neighbours to try to integrate and they're doing their best to try to develop an idea of Islam that is compatible with living in a modern liberal democracy.
"The most likely victim of actual religious discrimination in British society is a Muslim but the person who is most likely to feel slighted because of their religion is an evangelical Christian."
Senior clergy, including Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, have attacked equality laws for eroding Christianity and stifling free speech, but Phillips said many of the legal cases brought by Christians on issues surrounding homosexuality were motivated by an attempt to gain political influence.
"I think for a lot of Christian activists, they want to have a fight and they choose sexual orientation as the ground to fight it on," he said.
"I think the whole argument isn't about the rights of Christians. It's about politics. It's about a group of people who really want to have weight and influence."
He added: "There are a lot of Christian activist voices who appear bent on stressing the kind of persecution that I don't think really exists in this country."
However, Mr Phillips, who is a Salvationist from a strong Christian background, expressed concern over the rise in Britain of anti-religious voices, such as Richard Dawkins, who are intolerant of people of faith.
"I understand why a lot of people in faith groups feel a bit under siege," he said.
"There's no question that there is more anti-religion noise in Britain.
"There's a great deal of polemic which is anti-religious, which is quite fashionable."
Phillips said that the Commission is committed to protecting people of faith against discrimination and also defended the right of religious institutions to be free from Government interference.
The Church of England is under pressure to allow openly gay clergy to be made bishops, while the Catholic Church only permits men to be priests, but the head of the Government-funded equalities watchdog said they are entitled to rule on their own affairs.
"The law doesn't dictate their organisation internally, in the way they appoint their ministers and bishops for example," he said.
"It's perfectly fair that you can't be a Roman Catholic priest unless you're a man. It seems right that the reach of anti-discriminatory law should stop at the door of the church or mosque.
"I'm not keen on the idea of a church run by the state.
"I don't think the law should run to telling churches how they should conduct their own affairs."
The intervention by the Commission comes after criticism of its £70 million annual budget, which is to be cut drastically.
Mr Phillips, a former Labour chairman of the Greater London Assembly and television producer was criticised for his £110,000 a year salary and was accused of "pandering to the right" by Ken Livingstone, the former Labour London mayor, for saying that multiculturalism had failed.
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is he talking about the 2000 reported groups of muslims planning mass slaughter of our women and children. Is that what he calls integration . What about the racist muslims paedophile gangs grooming our kids . Trevor phillips has forgot to mention this so i have mentioned it for him. For a public servant on the best part of a million pounds a year he has done abosolutely nothing for the white population of this country EVER
sarpedon1
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7 people
7 people
"In contrast, Muslims are less vociferous because they are trying to integrate into British "liberal democracy", he said."
You've got to be kidding me! Helen Keller would be more observant than this man.. and Goebbels, on his best day, couldn't utter that statement.
Britain, where have you gone?
Why are you allowing the inmates to run the asylum?
The wages of Political Correctness is loss of freedom.
You've got to be kidding me! Helen Keller would be more observant than this man.. and Goebbels, on his best day, couldn't utter that statement.
Britain, where have you gone?
Why are you allowing the inmates to run the asylum?
The wages of Political Correctness is loss of freedom.
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8 people
8 people
We,so called hard line Telegraph readers, who don't believe in the liberal minorities ruling the roost over the majority of the country, are the only hope this country has.
Liberals like Martyj can castigate us for our unwavering belief that Britain is a Christian country,or that marraige is one of sanctity between a man and a woman.But the irony here is that should any of the said minorities,such as the gays, become persecuted under the upcoming Islamic fascist regime that Europe is about to adopt,then we Telegraph readers are the real muscular liberals they will want on their side.People like Philips will run for the hills while the very people who are derided for their Conservative views will be the ones standing tall.
So,I say to you liberal idiots:be kind to us, for one day you will need our help.
Liberals like Martyj can castigate us for our unwavering belief that Britain is a Christian country,or that marraige is one of sanctity between a man and a woman.But the irony here is that should any of the said minorities,such as the gays, become persecuted under the upcoming Islamic fascist regime that Europe is about to adopt,then we Telegraph readers are the real muscular liberals they will want on their side.People like Philips will run for the hills while the very people who are derided for their Conservative views will be the ones standing tall.
So,I say to you liberal idiots:be kind to us, for one day you will need our help.
jkdriss
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DirtClod
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14 people
Phillips is a typical black racist- Christianity has always been viewed by black racists as "the white man's religion"..and Islam as the brown man's...regardless of the fact that MANY Muslim's kill black Christians and other black Muslims...this is what racial hatred does to you Mr Phillips-makes you an idiot and open to all sorts of ignorant thinking.
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"Muslims are integrating into British society better than many Christians,
according to the head of the Government's equality watchdog.
"
So let's see if I have this right: a Christian (Anglican and Catholic) society exists. Muslims emigrate. The Muslims "integrate" better than the existing society? How, exactly, does that work? It's utterly nonsensical.
Let's say my family invites someone into our home for a student-exchange program. What does integration into our family look like? Does it look like our abandoning our foundational principles and morals as a family to "accommodate" our guests?
Because from where I sit, it seems to me that British society is bending over backwards to accommodate Muslims into their society . . . and now being bashed for not going far enough? British society is not the problem here; it is what it is. That it doesn't fit a completely different culture, worldview, belief system is not surprising, but why is it assumed that the Brits need to change their own culture and heritage to accommodate alien foreigners? And exactly how far do they have to go? All the way to the global caliphate? Because nothing less will appease Islam--both the religion and the political movement.
according to the head of the Government's equality watchdog.
"
So let's see if I have this right: a Christian (Anglican and Catholic) society exists. Muslims emigrate. The Muslims "integrate" better than the existing society? How, exactly, does that work? It's utterly nonsensical.
Let's say my family invites someone into our home for a student-exchange program. What does integration into our family look like? Does it look like our abandoning our foundational principles and morals as a family to "accommodate" our guests?
Because from where I sit, it seems to me that British society is bending over backwards to accommodate Muslims into their society . . . and now being bashed for not going far enough? British society is not the problem here; it is what it is. That it doesn't fit a completely different culture, worldview, belief system is not surprising, but why is it assumed that the Brits need to change their own culture and heritage to accommodate alien foreigners? And exactly how far do they have to go? All the way to the global caliphate? Because nothing less will appease Islam--both the religion and the political movement.
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16 people
16 people
maybe because "christians" are a minority in this country now....
I find this both racist and discriminitory.. This coming from a government official too....
We need a change....
Why do we keep allowing our own government to belittle us, take away our freedoms and tax us to hell. For what? for them to call us all terrorists and worse than muslims?
I find this both racist and discriminitory.. This coming from a government official too....
We need a change....
Why do we keep allowing our own government to belittle us, take away our freedoms and tax us to hell. For what? for them to call us all terrorists and worse than muslims?
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Would help if they removed the bible from churches and replaced it with Dawkins, same with mosques, schools should teach Dawkins and not religion, mind you Dawkins is becoming a religion to.
But my view of this guys motives is that he's drumming up work, he certainly isn't calming tensions.
But my view of this guys motives is that he's drumming up work, he certainly isn't calming tensions.
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3 people
That would be equivalent to removing science texts from laboratories and science sections of libraries and replacing them with Bibles, Qurans and Sutras and the like.
In other words, it would be STUPID beyond belief!
Who's the magical "they" that would have the authority to barge into churches or mosques and perpetrate this stupidity anyway?
Jackbooted atheist stormtroopers perhaps?
BTW - Dawkins is one particular individual proponent of science, not a subject in and of himself.
In other words, it would be STUPID beyond belief!
Who's the magical "they" that would have the authority to barge into churches or mosques and perpetrate this stupidity anyway?
Jackbooted atheist stormtroopers perhaps?
BTW - Dawkins is one particular individual proponent of science, not a subject in and of himself.
DirtClod
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Hmmm...either you can't read, or purposefully talk bullsh1t...
At no point have I said that what's claimed above that Phillips said was a good thing. What I DID say was that the text and the quotes are completely different to what many of the more mentally challenged cases on here like yourself believe him to have said.
For example, he didn't say British Christians had to do more, nor did he say they were more militant in the aggressive sense posters took from the word used by the Telegraph. He said Christians had recently felt threatened; become more organised and vociferous; groups with a political agenda could take advantage of that; and that his group were perceived not to have done enough to support that, so they would make some changes.
Understood that? If not, just read through again, and ask for help if necessary. Now no offence, but unlike you, my little BNP chum, I've got work in the morning...
At no point have I said that what's claimed above that Phillips said was a good thing. What I DID say was that the text and the quotes are completely different to what many of the more mentally challenged cases on here like yourself believe him to have said.
For example, he didn't say British Christians had to do more, nor did he say they were more militant in the aggressive sense posters took from the word used by the Telegraph. He said Christians had recently felt threatened; become more organised and vociferous; groups with a political agenda could take advantage of that; and that his group were perceived not to have done enough to support that, so they would make some changes.
Understood that? If not, just read through again, and ask for help if necessary. Now no offence, but unlike you, my little BNP chum, I've got work in the morning...
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24 people
24 people
This imbecile comes out with an outrageous statement every couple of years, or so, to justify his non-job to the Left-wing loonies that put him there. We can't remove him so he's better ignored for the cretin that he is.
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