Now that we live in the years after “9-11”, religion is the stuff not only of pews but increasingly of public conversation: Is there a clash of civilisations? Are they all fundamentalists? Or, as we have discovered in the case of the UK government, “why would we bother even attempting to find anything out about the largest faith communities in our land?” After a year’s research involving upwards of 300 interviews with parliamentarians, civil servants, voluntary sector leaders, bishops and community activists we have established that the government’s “faith-based agenda” is incoherent. This is not a judgement on the government as a whole, but when it comes to very particular parts of social policy, the state is planning blind ”“ moral, but with no compass.
Such a discovery should only matter if the Church of England, the focus of our study, were judged to have anything to offer the country. In many of our interviews with local and national civil servants this seemed to be a possibility that only met with derision. “Churches,” said one county council equalities officer, “are bad for the country”. “Churches are dying” said a senior civil servant. Meanwhile, the view in parts of Whitehall seemed to be that even where religions were strong they were only grassroots-based, were likely to compete aggressively for funds and so were consequently at risk of reducing social cohesion in society.
The social reality we unearthed, though, challenges these stereotypes and makes it clear that the Church of England is this country’s largest voluntary organisation ”“ even before it gets round to any of its other unique contributions.
Read it all.
Francis Davis: ”˜Moral, But No Compass’ ”“ a challenge to every politician
Now that we live in the years after “9-11”, religion is the stuff not only of pews but increasingly of public conversation: Is there a clash of civilisations? Are they all fundamentalists? Or, as we have discovered in the case of the UK government, “why would we bother even attempting to find anything out about the largest faith communities in our land?” After a year’s research involving upwards of 300 interviews with parliamentarians, civil servants, voluntary sector leaders, bishops and community activists we have established that the government’s “faith-based agenda” is incoherent. This is not a judgement on the government as a whole, but when it comes to very particular parts of social policy, the state is planning blind ”“ moral, but with no compass.
Such a discovery should only matter if the Church of England, the focus of our study, were judged to have anything to offer the country. In many of our interviews with local and national civil servants this seemed to be a possibility that only met with derision. “Churches,” said one county council equalities officer, “are bad for the country”. “Churches are dying” said a senior civil servant. Meanwhile, the view in parts of Whitehall seemed to be that even where religions were strong they were only grassroots-based, were likely to compete aggressively for funds and so were consequently at risk of reducing social cohesion in society.
The social reality we unearthed, though, challenges these stereotypes and makes it clear that the Church of England is this country’s largest voluntary organisation ”“ even before it gets round to any of its other unique contributions.
Read it all.