Former Archbishop attacks PM

This isn't just a broad brush attack on the government. David Cameron is singled out for his role in what Lord Carey calls making Christianity more anxious and this increasing marginalisation of the faith.

Lord Carey's main issue is gay marriage. He is very strongly opposed to it and he expressed his opinion very strongly indeed.

Of course when he does this there is a lot of criticism and today we have been hearing from other people within the church as well.

They are keen to stress that Lord Carey's view is not the only view on gay marriage.

A number 10 spokesperson said this government strongly backs faith and that Christianity has a key part to play in the big society.

Keith Porteous Wood, executive director of the National Secular Society, said: "David Cameron should ignore Lord Carey's theocratic and anti-democratic blustering.

"Nothing in the proposed same-sex marriage laws require Christians to conduct or partake in same-sex marriage, and Lord Carey has no right to insist that his discriminatory and intolerant views should prevail over those of the public and Parliament. And, rightly, they will not be allowed to.

"This survey referred to in the Daily Mail is a very small, self- selecting one. The more representative and independent polls show public support for gay marriage, including among Christians in the pews."

More than two-thirds of Christians feel they are now part of a "persecuted minority", according to a ComRes poll.

The survey, commissioned by the Coalition for Marriage, also found that found more than half of Christians who backed the Conservatives in 2010 say they will "definitely not" vote for the party in 2015.

George Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has claimed that the government is “aiding and abetting” aggressive secularisation.

Two thirds of those polled said they believed allowing same sex unions was an attempt to make the Conservative Party look trendy.

Downing Street has hit back at accusations by George Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, that the government has “aided” aggressive secularisation.

George Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has claimed that the government is “aiding and abetting” aggressive secularisation.

In an article in the Daily Mail, Lord Carey said “many Christians” doubted David Cameron’s commitment to protect religious freedoms.

He wrote: “It was a bit rich to hear that the Prime Minister has told religious leaders that they should ‘stand up and oppose aggressive secularisation’ when it seems that his government is aiding and abetting this aggression every step of the way.

“At his pre-Easter Downing Street reception for faith leaders, he said that he supported Christians’ right to practise their faith.

"Yet many Christians doubt his sincerity.”