Bishops blast Labor government
Güncelleme Tarihi:
AFP
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Aralık 29, 2008 00:00
LONDON - Five senior Church of England bishops slammed the British government over the financial crisis, accusing it of being "morally corrupt," in comments published yesterday.
The bishops delivered a withering assessment of the Labour Party's 11 years in office under prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, in separate interviews with The Sunday Telegraph newspaper.
The bishops of Manchester, Durham, Winchester, Carlisle and Hulme warned that Britain was suffering from an addiction to debt, family breakdown and a widening gap between rich and poor.
They accused ministers of pursuing "scandalous" policies and reneging on promises.
The attack came as Brown prepared to tell the public in his New Year message that Britain would meet the "enormous challenge" of the financial crisis in 2009.
Last week Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the leader of the world's Anglicans, said Brown's plans were like an "addict returning to the drug."
Nigel McCulloch, the Bishop of Manchester, said the government was "beguiled by money" and had acted "scandalously" over the financial crisis by encouraging further debt. "This is not just an economic issue, but a moral one," he said.
"The government believes that money can answer all of the problems and has encouraged greed and a love of money that the Bible says is the root of all evil.
"It's morally corrupt because it encourages people to get into a lifestyle of believing they can always get what they want.
"We have the poor feeling they have been betrayed and the gap is getting ever greater. Any government of integrity would have exercised restraint, but this has been sadly lacking."
Deepening rift
The Sunday Telegraph said the comments reflected a deepening rift between the government and the Church of England.
Stephen Lowe, the Bishop of Hulme, said: "The government isn't telling people who are already deep in debt to stop overextending themselves, but instead is urging us to spend more. That is morally suspect and morally feeble.
"It is unfair and irresponsible of the government to put pressure on the public to spend in order to revive the economy."
The bishops of Manchester, Durham, Winchester, Carlisle and Hulme warned that Britain was suffering from an addiction to debt, family breakdown and a widening gap between rich and poor.
They accused ministers of pursuing "scandalous" policies and reneging on promises.
The attack came as Brown prepared to tell the public in his New Year message that Britain would meet the "enormous challenge" of the financial crisis in 2009.
Last week Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the leader of the world's Anglicans, said Brown's plans were like an "addict returning to the drug."
Nigel McCulloch, the Bishop of Manchester, said the government was "beguiled by money" and had acted "scandalously" over the financial crisis by encouraging further debt. "This is not just an economic issue, but a moral one," he said.
"The government believes that money can answer all of the problems and has encouraged greed and a love of money that the Bible says is the root of all evil.
"It's morally corrupt because it encourages people to get into a lifestyle of believing they can always get what they want.
"We have the poor feeling they have been betrayed and the gap is getting ever greater. Any government of integrity would have exercised restraint, but this has been sadly lacking."
Deepening rift
The Sunday Telegraph said the comments reflected a deepening rift between the government and the Church of England.
Stephen Lowe, the Bishop of Hulme, said: "The government isn't telling people who are already deep in debt to stop overextending themselves, but instead is urging us to spend more. That is morally suspect and morally feeble.
"It is unfair and irresponsible of the government to put pressure on the public to spend in order to revive the economy."