Leading authors slam U.K. leader over Christian claims in open letter

Leading authors Sir Terry Pratchett and Philip Pullman are among the notable figures who have signed an open letter to U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron in protest after the politician branded Britain a “Christian country”. Cameron hit the headlines earlier this month (Apr14) when he insisted Britain should “more confident” about its status as a country with a deep Christian history ahead of the Easter celebrations over the weekend (19-20Apr14).
Some critics dismissed the statement as a vote-winning ploy, and now a list of leading academics and writers have spoken out against his claims, insisting the comments have “negative consequences” for the country.
In the open letter, Pratchett, Pullman, performer Tim Minchin and many others have accused the British leader of fuelling “alienation and division in our society”.
The missive adds: “Britain has been shaped for the better by many pre-Christian, non-Christian, and post-Christian forces. We are a plural society with citizens with a range of perspectives, and we are a largely non-religious society.”