As a Christian, I have some sympathy with a separation of church and state (secularism, if you like).
However, I’d just like to pick up on something that Cllr Rob Shorrock (a fellow Labour Party member) was quoted as saying: “I would not expect myself or people who hold my beliefs... to spout on about why God doesn’t exist and the beauty of evolution”.
However, Rob is mistaken, and it is a common mistake, if he thinks evolution (or The Big Bang for that matter) is inimical to Christianity, which I think is implied by this quote.
Not all Christians take the Genesis creation account as a scientific/literal text (which it was never intended to be), despite what new atheists like Richard Dawkins may like you to believe.
Non-literal interpretations of at least parts of the Genesis account long pre-date modern science (e.g. St Augustine of Hippo) less Christians be accused of moving the goalposts following publication of Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species”.
More generally, scientific theories are neutral with respect to theistic or atheistic views.
There are many eminent scientists who would find no problem in extolling the “beauty of evolution” concurrently with a Christian/religious faith.
Space precludes a long list but to name but two; Simon Conway Morris (Professor of Evolutionary Paleobiology at Cambridge University) and Francis Collins (leader of The Human Genome Project).
Paul Jacklin
Harlaxton Road, Grantham