The Houses of Parliament have passed laws that are anti-family and anti-life (Photo: PA)
Or is it still a civilised, Christian country that leads the way on many moral issues?
Edmund Adamus, director of pastoral affairs at Westminster archdiocese, said in an interview with Zenit that Britain was a “selfish, hedonistic wasteland” and the “epicentre of the culture of death”.
His comments were picked up by the Independent, the Telegraph, and the Guardian. A spokesman for Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster said they did “not reflect the archbishop’s opinions”.
Yet most people would agree that Britain is a fairly selfish, consumerist and sexualised society. All Catholics lament the high rate of abortion. And the calls for legal euthanasia are persistent and growing stronger.
Last year Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor urged the Government to create a national moral council “to rediscover the things that make for a healthy society”. He was backed by Abbot Christopher Jamison, who said consumer culture had “taken over our spiritual world”.
On the other hand, as Joan Smith said in a column for the Independent, Britain is a marvellously tolerant and civilised place when compared to countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, and China.
So, is Britain a moral wasteland? Or is it a reasonably ethical society with a deep Christian heritage?
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Debate: Is Britain a moral wasteland?
Or is it still a civilised, Christian country that leads the way on many moral issues?
Edmund Adamus, director of pastoral affairs at Westminster archdiocese, said in an interview with Zenit that Britain was a “selfish, hedonistic wasteland” and the “epicentre of the culture of death”.
His comments were picked up by the Independent, the Telegraph, and the Guardian. A spokesman for Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster said they did “not reflect the archbishop’s opinions”.
Yet most people would agree that Britain is a fairly selfish, consumerist and sexualised society. All Catholics lament the high rate of abortion. And the calls for legal euthanasia are persistent and growing stronger.
Last year Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor urged the Government to create a national moral council “to rediscover the things that make for a healthy society”. He was backed by Abbot Christopher Jamison, who said consumer culture had “taken over our spiritual world”.
On the other hand, as Joan Smith said in a column for the Independent, Britain is a marvellously tolerant and civilised place when compared to countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, and China.
So, is Britain a moral wasteland? Or is it a reasonably ethical society with a deep Christian heritage?
Subscribe at your app store:
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The Catholic Herald is a Catholic newspaper based in London. It was founded in 1888.
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culture of death, debate, Diocese of Westminster, Edmund Adamus, moral wasteland
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