Churchill on Religion

The following is a passage from Stephen Mansfield's book, Never Give In: The Extraordinary Character of Winston Churchill. I thought this was interesting in light of how faith is portrayed in public office today.

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"I found no comfort in any of the philosophical ideas which some men parade in their hours of ease and strength and safety. They seemed only fair-weather friends. I realized with awful force that no exercise of my own feeble wit and strength could save me from my enemies, and that without the assistance of that High Power which interferes in the eternal sequence of causes and effects more often than we are always prone to admit, I could never succeed. I prayed long and earnestly for help and guidance. My prayer, as it seems to me, was swiftly and wonderfully answered." - Winston Churchill

There is a schizophrenic nature in modern politics. A leader is expected to have a religious faith but he is not supposed to let it to influence him in his duties. Somehow, the truths that determine everything else about his existence are not allowed to influence how he conducts himself in public life. Not only that, his principles are usually considered so personal that the public is not even allowed to know for certain what they are. This passes for noble statecraft in our time. It was once thought cowardice.