Amidst a titanic struggle that’s just beginning to emerge between Christians and their government overlords in the UK where the government is arguing that Christians have no right to wear cross at work, the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams said that wearing a cross is just a “religious decoration” for many people and not an essential part of Christianity.

While he’s right in that for many people the cross that hangs around their neck has little relevance to their life, the timing of his remarks couldn’t be worse.

Dr Rowan Williams said the cross had become something “which religious people make and hang on to” as a substitute for true faith. (Hey, isn’t that how Obama described flag pins to patriotism?)

Dr. Williams’ comments comes at the same time that the Government is arguing in the European Court that Christians do not have the “right” to wear a cross as a visible manifestation of faith.

In the understatement of the day, Andrea Williams, director of the Christian Legal Centre, called the remarks “unhelpful”.

Not only did he say things that will certainly damage the cause of those seeking the right to wear a cross in public, his silence to speak directly to this issue speaks even louder. This is sad. I don’t expect much from Rowan Williams and this one even surprises me.

God bless those defending the right to wear the cross despite Rowan Williams’ comments. You know, Jesus could’ve walked away from the cross as well. He didn’t.