by Damian Mills, of St Anne's Church, Keighley

Political correctness is near the top of many people's agenda in Britain today.

Certainly, many feel that they must be seen to be politically correct (PC).

In some circles PC has become something of an obsession. It might be useful to consider where it comes from and what it might mean to Christians.

On the face of it, PC might seem to be an excellent idea founded on one of the highest principles. Surely, the idea that one must not say or do things that could be regarded as prejudiced or discriminatory against anyone is one which any Christian must support.

Jesus could never have been regarded as PC, for example he upturned the tables of the money lenders and spoke out against the conventional wisdom of his time. So PC didn't come from

Christian morals. Perhaps PC has come to prominence because Christians have lost the lead when it comes to setting the standards for acceptable behaivour in our society.

Many people, although fewer would admit it, are concerned that PC is getting out of hand. Some already feel unable to exercise their legitimate right to free speech, which we claim to hold so dear in this country, for fear of not being PC. Whilst I would always condemn those who treat others unfairly, I share these concerns.

Many of the thinkers behind PC have no regard for conventional religion, or for the moral code which, thankfully, most of the population still try to follow. PC could, if it goes unchecked, eventually destroy the moral fabric of our society by making most people afraid to speak out for what they believe in and by making many others increasingly unsure of what they should believe in.

The onus is on Christian soldiers to take the lead from the PC brigade, by actively speaking and behaving in a biblically correct manner.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.