The British Government is prepared to work with faith groups, but only if they agree to work with others of different views, and to stop using public money to proselytize.
Communities Minister Hazel Blears told a church conference yesterday that faith groups had a ”˜vital role’ to play, but acknowledged that their contribution had not always been recognized by the Labour administration.
“In the past faith groups have found doors closed: little recognition of their role, little willingness to debate it. And it was a real missed opportunity that we chose not to make more of their enthusiasm and expertise,” she said.
“….religion has taken the place of faith – where the Church is generally accepted and esteemed as a social agency for her work in favour of peace and social justice, but is not tolerated as soon as she starts to speak about Jesus and his gospel.”
Bishop Sandy Millar
Anybody any idea which conference and where? Such poor journalism not to mention the basic facts. I am also astounded at the reference to ceasing to use public money to proselytise. Clearly my church here in the UK has been missing out on some vast trough of public funds. BTW we applied to the National Lottery for grants to help us in our programmes (including work with the homeless, and a social centre for refugees). Two applications: each refused. Michael Moore, we need you over here …
Ms Blears is a core component of the problem: a secularising government which will only use religion to achieve its own ends.
Time after time she appears on our media only to reveal a complete incomprehension of what faith actually means. So she is in charge of dealing with what the government Orwellianly refers to as “faith communities”.
Islam, which the government thinks means some kind of racial characteristic, receives massive government sponsorship. The rest of us are simply regarded as opponents of the government’s “Equal Opps” ideology.
It is just beginning to dawn upon our dimwit rulers that islam is not a model of modern human rights thinking….so they are going to throw it another $140m to “educate” its radical youth.
It would be interesting to see if the Government would equally accept that it should proselytize.
So when it comes to say an adoption service, the churches can run it along the lines they think is in the best interests of the child, and the Government will keep its views to itself….
and in marriage counselling, the church will provide the counsel that it thinks is best, and the state will keep its views out ….
and in the area of social work, the church will do what it thinks is right, and the state will leave it alone.
I don’t think that is what she means … I think she means you won’t “proselytize” by which I mean “you won’t say anything that I don’t agree with”.
#4. You have got it exactly right. “Proselytize” in NewLabourspeak means any words or actions by which a Christian betrays that they are influenced by their faith. When NewLabour uses the term “privatisation” it means absolute internalisation. You can believe it, but don’t dare breathe a word about it. Or you will be hauled up before the Equality Commissioners.