Hey, don’t you walk out on me!
Representatives of six major church bodies have been challenged to reconsider their position in relation to an equalities forum from which they walked away earlier this month, after criticising the stance of non-religious groups.
The Church of England, the Salvation Army, the Methodist Church, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, the Free Churches’ Group and the ecumenical body Churches Together in Britain and Ireland unilaterally left the Religion and Belief Consultative Group (RBCG), without prior notice, in a move that the Rev Peter Colwell of CTBI says they hope “will precipitate the folding up of the group” – according to a report in The Times.
The RBCG was established in 2004 to provide a joint framework for faith communities and non-religious belief organisations to keep in touch with developments on equality issues.
It has been a reference group for the religion and belief representatives on the Steering Group for the Equality and Human Rights Commission. It receives no government funding and attendance is by agreement, though some suggest that it has acquired a “semi-formal” role.
Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, Jains, Sikhs, Baha’is, other Christians and humanists remain in the Group, which is nevertheless having to reconsider its future as a result of the churches’ refusal to participate.
The Rev Dr Malcolm Brown, head of Mission and Public Affairs for the Church of England, claimed the RBCG was no longer “fit for purpose”. He accused both the British Humanist Association and the National Secular Society of “[using] the group to argue for the exclusion of religious voices from public life.”
…
British Humanist Association chief executive Andrew Copson said of the Church of England’s specific allegations against the BHA, which have now been made twice within a fortnight: “This is a serious accusation which is totally untrue.”
In a letter to The Times newspaper he pointed out that the BHA co-founded the Religion and Belief Consultative Group with faith groups “out of our awareness of the need for a mechanism whereby religious and non-religious groups could tackle emerging questions of equality together.” He added: “We have never strayed from that purpose.”
Mr Copson continued: “In spite of the Churches’ exodus, there are still Christian groups that remain part of the RBCG, along with Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, Jains, Sikhs, Baha’is and humanists. Though we may disagree from time to time and discussion may be occasionally uncomfortable, it is a necessity in a shared society, and it is a shame that the churches feel they can no longer be part of that.”
The BHA has made it clear that it “works for an open and inclusive society with freedom of belief and speech” and while opposing the privileging of religion, seeks to “work with others of different beliefs for the common good.”
Full article: http://ekklesia.co.uk/node/11653
It looks very much like the churches that left the group have taken their ball on gone home because they do not believe in equality and an open and inclusive society. They do not like that the BHA has successfullybuilt a coalition of non-religionists and religionists to aim for a secular society.
They want to maintain their privileged tax-free status something that not even the poorest and least able to pay people in the land can do “The BHA has made it clear that it “works for an open and inclusive society with freedom of belief and speech” and while opposing the privileging of religion, seeks to “work with others of different beliefs for the common good.”” Any religious group that is bigoted against the range of human sexuality or preaches that condom use is evil and causes AIDS or… or… or…or… has no right to preach tax-free in the public forum
‘The Rev Dr Malcolm Brown, head of Mission and Public Affairs for the Church of England, claimed the RBCG was no longer “fit for purpose”. He accused both the British Humanist Association and the National Secular Society of “[using] the group to argue for the exclusion of religious voices from public life.”’
Which is libel in my book.
I think it is a great pity that this has been presented by the Christian groups as an argument between the religious on one side and the BHA and NSS on the other. Having been a part of this group from its inception until I retired last year, I found it remarkable how rarely the group ‘divided’ along that line. On all kinds of issue – some of them very contentious (faith schools, sexual orientation, equality legislation, etc, etc) – the disagreement was most often between those who are genuinely committed to equality and human rights (which includes many of the religious participants) and those who, when it actually comes down to it, and particularly when they perceive their privileges to be under threat, are not. On some issues that meant Christians v. the rest.
Whatever the reasons, it is very sad that the only national group that brings religious and non-religious groups together for a regular dialogue is now under threat. I really do hope it survives.