Bake-Off Blasphemy! 

Foodies fall foul in the language stakes

My wife and I used to be regular viewers of The Great British Bake Off, currently being screened on Channel 4, which series has for many years celebrated the efforts of amateur contestants in the kitchen. Bake Off is now one of television’s most popular shows, recently overtaking Strictly Come Dancing for the first time in the TV ratings.
 
As an interesting aside – and a bit of a name-drop! - Linda is qualified in home economics and once, in her far-off student days, she helped Mary Berry out over the weekend; Ms Berry, of course, being one of the UK's most cherished and respected baker-broadcasters, and an original judge on The Great British Bake Off. More significantly, she is also a deeply committed Christian.

Cursing Christ

So the other day, we were intrigued to see how new presenter Nigella Lawson was doing on the show, providing what television insiders are calling the essential "Nigella effect". But when we switched it on we were truly appalled at the foul language spewing out of the mouths of at least two contestants.
 
Taking the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in vain, whether unwittingly or not - they loudly expressed their frustration (rather than praise) at things going wrong with their concoctions – and all this in front of more than seven million viewers.

But when we switched it on we were truly appalled at the foul language spewing out of the mouths of at least two contestants.

We quickly switched the TV off, vowing to complain in the strongest possible terms, which I have since done. And though it’s hard to be surprised at the language regularly heard on television programmes these days, I was shocked to the core by Channel 4’s response, basically saying that this particularly offensive blasphemy doesn’t come under the category of “strong language” at all.

Offending multitudes

Really? Isn’t it rather the worst language of them all? According to the most recent UK census, about 46% of the population – that’s 27.5 million people in England and Wales alone - describe themselves as Christian. Many are nominal, no doubt, but the fact remains, millions of Christian believers up and down the country who watch TV shows like Bake Off, would be deeply offended at hearing people curse the name of their Lord and Saviour on national TV – not least when they’re having to pay the BBC for the privilege of doing so.
 
“We are sorry to hear you were offended by some of the language used within the programme,” Channel 4 officials wrote. “Whilst we do appreciate that you find the use of such phrases or words unacceptable, we are not obliged under the Ofcom code to obscure them, nor do they fall under the category for strong language. We therefore have no obligation to bleep them either pre- or post-watershed.”

Imagine the furore among British Muslims if anyone dared curse their precious ‘Prophet’ on TV – or anywhere. 

I had suggested that they could at least have edited them out, adding that they were being very hypocritical as they wouldn’t have allowed swearing in the name of Mohammed, a point which they ignored. Imagine the furore among British Muslims if anyone dared curse their precious ‘Prophet’ on TV – or anywhere. The TV series would be pulled off air, and broadcasters and producers would be beside themselves in desperate acts of apology and appeasement.

Have we sunk so low in our nation that there is nothing left that is sacred, except woke left-wing ideology and appeasement of those who hate the God of Israel and his Son Jesus, our Lord?

Where the land of hope and glory?

But we have forsaken the God who brought peace and prosperity to Britain, and who saved us from Nazi invasion. For what – for the idols of food peasure and celebrity? Shame on us!
 
Surely it is time the Christian world woke up and stood against this flood of filth in our midst, which will sweep us away into the oblivion of a third-rate country if we do not act soon.

But we have forsaken the God who brought peace and prosperity to Britain, and who saved us from Nazi invasion. For what – for the idols of food peasure and celebrity?

Where has the ‘land of hope and glory’ gone? The ‘mother of the free’ we sing about at the Proms, calling on the God ‘who made thee mighty’ to ‘make thee mightier yet’?

The Apostle Paul was surely prophesying the decline and fall of the Roman Empire in his letter to the early Christians in Rome (a mixture of Jews and Gentiles), when he wrote:
 
“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
 
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Romans 1:18-20)

Charles Gardner (with Tom Lennie)

(Image - c/o Channel 4)