 |
"Faith is a strong and powerful source of the very values which are essential to politics, to our economy and our society," Secretary Denham said. |
CAIRO — The British government has formed a panel of religious experts to counsel it on public policy decisions, asserting that religious values are essential in the building of any progressive society.
"Faith is a strong and powerful source of honesty, solidarity, generosity," Communities Secretary John Denham told The Sunday Telegraph, November 15.
"(These are) the very values which are essential to politics, to our economy and our society."
Denham revealed that the government has formed a new panel of religious experts, from different faiths, to help shape public policies.
"We should continually seek ways of encouraging and enhancing the contribution faith communities make on the central issues of our time."
He said the government also needs to be educated by faith groups on "how to inform the rest of society about these issues".
The panel, headed by prominent Catholic leader Francis Davis, is being launched this week to coincide with a series of interfaith initiatives designed to increase social cohesion.
Last year, a cross-party parliamentary group warned that Britons are increasingly unhappy because of a profound loss of faith and spiritual bankruptcy in society.
The Church of England was also highly critical of the ruling Labour Party, with bishops questioning the morality of its policies.
Significant
The government move has drawn immediate fire from secularists and non-believers.
"It's totally wrong to have faith groups as consultants," Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, told The Telegraph.
"It's not right that they should have this privileged position to promote their dogmas, many of which are unacceptable," he said.
"We shouldn't have unelected people influencing decision making."
But Secretary Denham disagrees with secularist calls for keeping religions totally away from public life.
"I don't like the strand of secularism that says that faith is inherently a bad thing to have and should be kept out of public life," Denham said.
He joined religious leaders who had complained of the rise of aggressive secularism in Britain.
"Anyone wanting to build a more progressive society would ignore the powerful role of faith at their peril."
The official, however, stressed that faiths should not be free from criticism.
"I don't think you should have special treatment or special favors for any particular faith.
"I think the treatment, in terms of the ability to have robust debate or criticism of it, should be equal."
|
