Putative archbishop claims relgious views muzzled

Rt. Revd. Justin Welby Bishop of Durham

So the Rt. Revd. Justin Welby will be Archbishop of Canterbury.  The Daily Telegraph, which knows a thing or two about these things, calls him a worldly capitalist looking to spread the Word of the Lord.

Next Wednesday 14th November Welby is due to give a lecture called "Seen but not Heard – Should Believers have a Voice in the Polis?"  at Durham University.

He will claim that those who hold to religion are increasingly barred from airing their views in the public square. 

The advance publicity says the Bishop of Durham (as he still is) will explore the increasing tendency to suggest that those who hold faith based world views are disqualified from expressing any opinion in political life; or at the very least must excise such a world view from their minds when acting in public life. “To put it crudely” he will argue, the rule is “hold to any religion you like but don't let it affect your deeds.”

I think he exaggerates. Who says these things?  Church voices frequently assert that this is said, but is it said?  When? By whom? I wish I could be at the lecture to hear his case.

Admittedly the Irish politician Pat Rabbitte did say something like this not long ago. But he got scant support.

A word about that mitre thing

By the way the history of that mitre he’s wearing is instructive. It derives from a cap worn by officials of the Imperial Byzantine court. Or according to other sources, it's modelled on the ancient Byzantine imperial crown. More in Wikipedia. Or this website on Byzantine iconography (search for mitre.)