Blair speech: Church challenged to practice what it preaches
-22/03/05
‘If churches want to make a meaningful contribution to the general election campaign and have their calls taken seriously they must address their failings as well as their successes’.
This was the message from Christian thinktank Ekklesia today in interviews given to BBC news and the World Service following the Prime Minister’s speech to faith groups today.
During an event organised by the Christian social action group Faithworks, Tony Blair praised churches for their community and charity work. Earlier in the day, Steve Chalke, the founder of Faithworks, in an interview for BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme called for a level playing field when it came to consideration of policy proposals from the church and funding for it. Defending criticism from Alice Mahon MP, he said that churches only wanted equal treatment alongside all community groups.
However, Ekklesia has also pointed out today, that such a call cuts both ways. The church must heed the calls of secularists, radical Christians and others who point to the churches’ privileged position and discriminatory practices, and adjust them accordingly.
Frequently cited are the presence of 26 Bishops in the House of Lords, substantial funding for church schools which operate discriminatory admissions policies which favour church members, and blasphemy laws which protect only the Christian faith,
Jonathan Bartley, Ekklesia’s director who has authored a book about the churches political involvement, and will have another published later this year said; “The church has an amazing and impressive record when it comes to its work in a range of areas at the local level. But when it comes to matters of public policy the church must practice what it preaches.”
“Too often it is the same church groups and parachurch organisations who defend their privileged position in society and right to discriminate on the one hand, but then cry foul when the church is discriminated against.”
“The Faithworks campaign has done an excellent job in highlighting situations where the church has been discriminated against at the local level – and rightly so. But churches also need to acknowledge that they themselves enjoy and exercise unjust privileges left over from a bygone era.”
“In a ‘Post-Christendom’ context churches can not have their slice of religious cake and eat it. Either they are for a level playing field or they are against it. Until they decide, they will forfeit their right to speak authoritatively, particularly in matters of justice, both during general elections and between them.”