I’ve just stumbled across this excellent article by comedian Frank Skinner in (whisper it) The Times.

Frank Skinner is an irreverent and often crude comedian but, notably, is a committed Christian and has frequently spoken about his faith.  His book Frank Skinner is a fascinating insight into his faith, upbringing and career, and while it’s not for the faint-hearted it is certainly engaging, hilariously funny and, well, frank.

Anyway, the above Times article is a short commentary on the recent complaints about the disadvantages Christianity is claimed to be facing.  Skinner argues that it is actually when it is oppressed, discomforted, that it is at its best, and that the decline in church attendance is a great sign that church is becoming less something that everyone feels they have to go to, and more something that people actively choose to go to.

He further argues that there’s nothing wrong with Christians being distinct, different, apart, because it means that we’re standing up for our faith; even, he says, when it means we are unfairly judged as a result:

Most British Christians are badly dressed, unattractive people. We’re not pushy and aggressive members of society. We’re a bit like Goths — no one can remember us being fashionable and we talk about death a lot. I love the glorious un-coolness of that.

How refreshing that, when the loudest Christian voices around tend to be bitter campaigners complaining about gays, the assaults on Christian education or the writings of Richard Dawkins, we have sensible folk like Frank Skinner standing up to profess their faith and demand no privilege.

We need more people like him.