The Anglican bishop of London says in a Christmas letter that the return of religious issues to centre stage in the public sphere is welcome, but he claims it has provoked a dangerous reaction from what he calls "secular fundamentalists".

The Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, has caused uproar by suggesting that sin is not a purely personal concept, that care for the planet is a basic responsibility, and that unnecessarily choosing forms of transport which harm the environment may be a ìsymptom of sinî ñ turning in on ourselves, away from neighbour and from God.