Christianity is alive and well and has a strong future, according to the leader of Britain’s Seventh-day Adventist Church, responding to claims made earlier this month by Roman Catholic Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor that Christianity “has been almost vanquished” from Britain.

The impact of Christianity on the culture and intellectual life of modern Britain is greatly diminished to the point of being “almost vanquished,” said the cardinal at a conference of priests held September 5.

Pastor Cecil Perry, president of the Adventist Church in Britain, said he was surprised and concerned by the cardinal’s comments.

“We believe that Christianity as a world religion, and more specifically Christianity in the British Isles, has a strong future,” said Perry. “Although we see other religions displacing Christianity in some parts of our country and are concerned at the rise of atheism and apathy in formerly Christian communities, we do not believe that we should fear for the future.

“If anything these trends should motivate us to redouble our efforts in convincing others of the truth and beauty of the Christian faith,” Perry added. He believes that the words of Jesus, recorded in the Bible, that “the gates of Hades will not overcome it,” are a guarantee that Christianity will prevail until the end of time.

Other Christian leaders in Britain also disagreed with the cardinal’s analysis. The Anglican Church’s Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. George Carey, told reporters that there should be “nothing to frighten us or worry us” as we see changes in the society around us. It is “an exhilarating time to be a Christian,” he said.

With almost 700,000 adherents, Islam is Britain’s fast-growing faith, according to 1999 statistics. Some 6 million, or 12 percent of Britons, are Christians, a drop of 10 percent since 1970.