The Archbishop of Canterbury today backed David Cameron's claim that Britain is a Christian country after the Prime Minister received a barrage of criticism for his comments.
Archbishop Justin Welby leapt to the defence of Mr Cameron after he was accused by leading atheists of fostering "alienation and division" in his claims of Britain's religious beliefs.
But writing on his blog, the Archbishop said the criticism was "quite baffling" and pointed to the role of his faith in shaping today's Britain.
He wrote: "It is a historical fact (perhaps unwelcome to some, but true) that our main systems of ethics, the way we do law and justice, the values of society, how we decide what is fair, the protection of the poor, and most of the way we look at society... All have been shaped by and founded on Christianity."
The Archbishop added: "It is clear that, in the general sense of being founded in Christian faith, this is a Christian country.
Praising Mr Cameron for writing "rather movingly" about his faith in the Church Times, the Archbishop added: "The atheist protesters are wrong to argue that expressing confidence in the country’s Christian identity fosters alienation and division in our society.
"The PM is right on this," he concluded.
