LEICESTER MERCURY OFFERS FAITH SYMBOLS FOR FAMILY NOTICES

I don't know if this is a new service the Leicester Mercury is providing, but today is the first time it's come to my attention. The notice says that the paper now has a selection of faith symbols for readers' family notices. Symbols for each of the member communities on Leicester Council of Faiths are shown (top row, left to right: Hindu, Sikh, Christian; middle row, left to right: Muslim, Jewish, Jain; bottom row, left to right: Buddhist, Shinto,  Bahá'í). I don't know how many followers or practitioners of Shinto (the indigenous spirituality of the people of Japan) there are in Leicester and Leicestershire: probably more than the number of Bahá'ís, I imagine. However, if I were to choose just a ninth symbol appropriate for the city and county, I don't think Shinto would have been my first choice. I should mention that it's good to see this service being offered - but no one from the Leicester Mercury consulted, contacted or informed the Council of Faiths about it (just in case you might have been wondering, faithful reader).