Tony Blair says religious faith was "hugely important'' during his 10-year tenure as Britain's prime minister.
But he says he was reluctant to talk about it while in office for fear that voters in Britain, where open discussion of religious conviction is not commonplace, would see him as a -- quote -- "nutter.''
In an interview broadcast today on BBC television, Blair said British voters tend to think that religious politicians "go off and sit in the corner, commune with the man upstairs and then come back and say `Right, I've been told the answer and that's it.''
Blair, who is now a Mideast peace envoy, says religion allowed him to cope with the pressures of making tough decisions -- including committing British troops to the unpopular war in Iraq.
Blair's former communications director, Alistair Campbell, says Blair carried a Bible when he travelled and routinely asked aides to find Sunday church services.
Campbell admits Blair doesn't fit the image of a typically pious person.
He says Blair can be "pretty irreverent'' and "swears a fair bit.''
Nevertheless, he says those close to Blair came to understand how important religion was to him.
