BBC Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine has confessed that he is too afraid to speak candidly about his belief in God while working for the corporation, over fears that it could be considered ‘contentious’. The Channel 5 presenter rarely mentions his Christian faith in the workplace, but in a new interview, the dad-of-two has finally spoken out. Speaking on the BBC Radio 3 show, Private Passions, which airs on Sunday (June 14), he stated: “I definitely have a faith.
“Christ is probably who he said he was. I just so rarely say that in a BBC building. I just feel it is so contentious to say that. I think the Bible stories are incredible, and if it were a hoax, I want to know who wrote it, and I will follow them instead.”
The 61-year-old broadcaster, who has worked for the corporation for nearly four decades, reflected on how his career and his religion work together. He chuckled: “I’m living a strange life, aren’t I? A journalist is paid not to have views, but we all know that we do.
“We’re all made of different things. We all think different things. I’m trying to work out whether any part of the BBC’s Jeremy Vine is the Christian Jeremy Vine. I would never claim that being a Christian would make me a better person, let alone a better broadcaster. I would never, ever say that.
“For me, it’s family, church, prayer, hoping – and then the job is something else. From time to time, I’ve asked myself, ‘Is the program moral?’ and I’m glad I can’t answer it.”
Vine, who converted to Christianity in his twenties and is a practising Anglican, went on to say that it would be problematic for him to share his beliefs during discussions on his radio shows. He explained: “Just blurting it out would be destructive.
“Just because something’s true doesn’t mean you can say it. That’s quite an important principle. Once I put my cards on the table about my faith in discussions, it becomes problematic. You can’t express views that were common currency 30 or 40 years ago.
“Arguably, the parameters of what you might call ‘right thinking’ are probably closing. Sadly, along with that has come the fact that it’s almost socially unacceptable to say you believe in God.”
The last time Vine spoke about his relationship with God was back in 2017, when he admitted that he would be “the worst evangelical ever”, adding: “There were verses in the Bible I really struggled with. You must love the Lord with all your heart and mind and soul and strength, and there’s nobody in the world who does that.”
So what do you think? Should faith be discussed on air? Should broadcasters be more open about their religious views? Or should it be a personal matter kept away from the mass media? Vote in the poll below and join the discussion in the comments.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.express.co.uk ’
