Melvyn Bragg said he thinks it's a disgrace that children don't get to read the Bible in school. The broadcaster and author is an atheist but said: "They say it's too complicated, what are they talking about?" He called those who were daunted by the book "Wimps, terrible people".
Regarding the difficulty in reading the Bible, he said: "We have to work a bit harder and that's also good". He added that Shakespeare is getting more and more popular and that it is nearly always heard in the original language. Bragg described the Bible as "equally powerful".
He continued: "I think it is a great deprivation. What have we thrown away? One of the greatest pieces of art, work, whatever way you want to put it. It's awful. As for being too difficult, really? Honestly. We should be too good for that".
Speaking at the Henley Literary Festival, Melvyn Bragg was giving a talk on William Tyndale, the man who lost his life in 1536 for translating the Bible into English so people could read it without having to learn Latin.