"God's Law"
There is something about the Nolan Show and Iris Robinson which inevitably produces sparks. First her comments on homosexuality being an "abomination". Then, this morning, during a discussion on the new abortion guidelines, her assertion that "it is the government's responsibility to uphold God's law". This has prompted a flood of responses, both from those who regard the Strangford MP as a proponent of Christian "Sharia" law and those who maintain she is in touch with the church going majority in Northern Ireland.
I was struck by the caller who quoted the Queen's Coronation oath which makes explicit the continuing link between the state, God and the established Church. However, we all know that, in reality, the Queen is not an absolute theocratic ruler and the UK happily fudges along with a mixture of pluralist democracy and constitutional monarchy.
Of course, Northern Ireland is different when it comes to religion. According to the 2001 census, just under 86% of people here professed to be Christian of one kind or another. That's higher than the 72% figure for Great Britain. In the same census, other religions accounted for only 0.3% of the population - much lower than Great Britain (5.4%). Presumably, given the rise in immigration since 2001, that figure may have shifted by now.
Just under 14% of people here told the 2001 census takers they had no religion or didn't state what religion they were.
A survey on church attendance last year pointed to a between the 45% of regular churchgoers here compared to just 14% in England.
So given those statistics do people in Northern Ireland want a more explicitly Christian form of government or are they happy to "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's"?
The reaction from Sinn Fein and Alliance leaves no doubt that they will not allow the Executive to be pulled down a theocratic route. "When politicians speak of government having a responsibility to uphold 'God's law'" Alliance's Stephen Farry argues, "they invariably mean their own version of 'God's law'. History provides plenty of lessons on the dangers of imposing particular religious views on others."
Sinn Fein's John O'Dowd calls Iris Robinson's comments "ill advised" adding "when it comes to the business of government we must collectively be responsible and deal with the issues and beliefs held by and dear to all our people not one particular section."
Last year when Ian Paisley refused to sign off on the EU Gender Goods and Services Directive because it offended his religious sensibilities. Then, in a fudge worthy of the Church of England trying to appease its disparate factions, the OFMDFM sat back as UK ministers implemented the directive over their heads.
However UK ministers know that it would be a step too far to impose the 1967 Abortion Act when so many supporters of parties across the spectrum here oppose it.
Cross community consent and European human rights law mean we aren't going to become a theocracy any time soon. But the gulf between religious observance here and elsewhere in the UK also means that the Nolan show and others will find the relationship between religion, morality and politics provides a rich supply of stories for a long time to come.
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