Silentium Dei

ITV News has been rebuked for implying that the Vicar of Downing Street was influenced by God when he decided to join George W Bush's crusade in Iraq. His reverence initially said that he "didn't want to go into" the question, which might be an indication of moral qualms had the speaker been anyone other than his reverence. Then again, his moral sensitivity may simply have provided him with an awareness of the political embarrassment such a confession could cause, at least until the faith schools are permitted to start mass-producing true believers. In any case, it appears that people have written to Ofcom claiming that ITV's interpretation of his reverence's "rambling" and "indeterminate" comments could be "inflammatory and provoke racial and religious tensions". After all, what could be more provocative, unnatural and just plain malicious as to assert that a devout Christian might have been influenced by his chosen superstition when taking a decision that - as even his reverence must have realised at the time - could have profound implications both for his political career and for his personal standing?