Over the past 150 years the liberal/whiggish/do-gooder section of British society has transformed from being evangelical christian into being essentially materialistic and atheistic. Thats the main change there, and while outsiders often see Britain as being a polarised society between Tory aristocrats and Labour working Classes, the liberal middle classes (remembering that classes these days are quite fluid) confer a respectibility upon opinion, that the other two sections dont. For example these were the people that Tony Blair wooed successfully in the 1990s.
Liberalism is usually considered a dirty word in America, but in a different time and context it was an important positive development. Underpinning the liberal movement in the 19th century was the religious revival. Like in many continental catholic countries, the ostensibly religious aristocracy had presided over a corrupt church which tithed noncorformists and catholics of 10% of their earnings, turned a blind high to the practice of slavery and institutionalised repression and persecution of catholics in Ireland. Consequently Britain was one of the most violent, immoral and cruel nations on the face of the planet.
That all changed with the Evangelical Protestant revival in the 19th century, who attempted to get back to basics. They were also at the forefront of banning slavery and reviving sexual morality. So successful where they in the later, that British society transformed from the most lewd to the most “prude” society in Europe. The inhibited relationship of the Briton towards the subject of sex even became to be seen as a national characteristic and was often a target for comedy of the 60s onwards such as in Monthy Python. In Ireland, the liberal prime minister, Gladstone did more to free catholics from repression and persuction than any of his conservative peers. A profoundly religious man, Gladstone premiership represented the high water mark for the moral and decent Britain.
Now this liberal impulse still remains, and because it still seeks to fight injustice where it can, it has a certain respectibility in the minds of people that is not hard to fathom. However at some point in the 20th century, the guiding spirit of British liberalism, which was initialty christian, and based on christian charity, was dropped in favour of something more materialistic and atheistic. The goal remains the same - fight injustice - and that is good, however the definition of injustice, which was once seen as something that was unchristian has been highjacked by socialism and feminism. This of course is the innevitable course for all well-meaning protetant revivals. They are eventually undermined by their initial rebellion against the Authority - the Holy Roman Catholic Church, and subsequently they rationalise themselves out of existance. “the gates are narrow”.
A famous atheist feminist author for the liberal paper of choice, Joan Smith, has commented on the “hedonsitic wastelands” comments.
Her worldview is smug and self centered, but she sees herself on the side of fighting injustice.
independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/joan-smith/joan-smith-in-defence-of-modern-britain-2067886.html
