In a country numb and overshadowed by the terrible events at Grenfell Tower, the news of Tim Farron’s resignation has passed almost unremarked. But as political resignations go, his reasons were unique in modern times. Once politics and religion were one. But now within formerly Christian societies, this is much less the case. In England particularly, Church and State, whilst still joined constitutionally, are very much separate in practice. And rightly so. This blog believes in a secular society and is opposed to faith schools, whilst defending the right of every citizen to believe in any faith and practice any religion, so long as nothing that the faith preaches harms others or is a promotion of acts or attitudes which are against the law of the land.
Tim Farron has been an honest and open party leader for the Liberal Democrats. He articulated with a good deal of clarity unusual in modern politicians, ways forward which were not always down the popular road. Without him the debate will be less interesting. But it seems his faith lead him down a path to conclusions which this blog considers shocking and deeply offensive to the people of our country who are outside his muddled understandings of virtue versus sin.
He is right to go. He must now decide whether he wants a career in politics or religion. In these times, now, he will find it difficult pursue both. With his homophobic thoughts that is as it should be.