A TRIBUTE TO THE POWER OF SHARED VALUES

Riaz Ravat's First Person column appears in today's Leicester Mercury (but not on the website):

A tribute to the power of shared values

Riaz Ravat looks back over an eventful year that has brought faith communities closer together

This year will surely go down as one of the most remarkable in the history of the UK. On a spring day in March , Leicester paid a colourful and vibrant tribute to the Queen on the first stop of her Diamond Jubilee tour. The royal party was treated to a show that will live long in the memory.

The Church of England is interwoven into the fabric of this country and the leadership shown by the Diocese of Leicester, with Leicester Cathedral as the centrepiece, enabled a mosaic of faith communities to join in the celebrations to show they too are firmly rooted in the identity of this country.

2012 as also marked as the Year of Service. Launched in January, the initiative encouraged faith communities to work collectively to deliver charity efforts to needy causes.

"Confirm us in service to the world of humanity so that we may become the servants of Thy servants, that we may love all they creatures and become compassionate to all thy people."

These words of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the eldest son and successor of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, were delivered in 1912 and it was fitting the Bahá'í community was instrumental in launching a year of service.

One of the many points to note from the release of the 2011 Census is how the definition of "minority" is being redrawn locally.

The presence of smaller groups, such as the Bahá'í and Jewish communities, poses challenges to larger communities and defines the true meaning of a decent and progressive society. The challenge is how we enable these minorities to express their confidence and to contribute their fullest, to the life of the city, county and country.

Throughout the year, we witnessed Bahá'ís, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jains, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs and those of no professed religions belief coming together for the selfless service of others.

Whether this motivation is inspired by God, political doctrine or human concern, we must begin to address what wee mean by  shared values, purposes and the nature of "good", not only for today's world, but for tomorrow's.

As we reflect on service, let us not forget the dedication and decency of the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.

The impact of the General Synod voting against female Bishops is not restricted to the Church of England. Far from observing these developments, those from other persuasions must now take stock and ask, how much longer will we accept the gap between the principle and practice of equality?

The spiritual richness of service and compassion which faith communities possess, undergirded by their respective "golden rules", is all too often tainted by humanity's thirst for selective salvation.

Riaz Ravat is deputy director at St Philip's Centre, Leicester

NOT FOR US TO MODERNISE WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Not for us to modernise what the Bible teaches

When I read Ronald Mupfeki's letter "Women's Role in the Church" (Mailbox, December 17), I felt I had to write to support the view he expressed.

I, too, have been watching with interest as the General Synod got in a proper pickle over the matter. Is it really true that one of the bishops said that they would keep on voting until they got the right result? How self-righteous can you get?

The Bible verse at 2 Tim 3:16 makes it clear that the scriptures are inspired of Almighty God and are beneficial for teaching, reproving and setting things straight.

So Mr Mupfeki is spot on when he says the Bible tells us that bishops should be men.

That being the case, what are the current crop of bishops thinking of when they promote the idea of women bishops. Do they really know better than God?

If Almighty God has determined, in his wisdom, that men only should be bishops, by what authority do they seek to change that ruling.

Do they really think that they have greater intellect than the Most High Personage of the Universe?

The idea that "times have changed" and that "it would be more in keeping with modern life" really doesn't cut it.

The verse at Romans 15:4 tells us that, "all things written aforetime were written for our instruction", and if we think about wise King Solomon, while he did things God's way, he prospered, but when he turned away from God's guidance things went horribly wrong for him.

While God granted us free will, we are also answerable for our actions. Can we see the similarity?

Having said all that, it's true to say that women are held in great regard by our Creator and His son.

It was a woman to whom Jesus chose to appear first after his resurrection and, when we read in Ephesians 5, how the Christian husband is directed to treat his wife, then we can have no doubt as to the respect in which women are held within the Christian arrangement.

Time and time again the Church leaders have surrounded themselves with controversy when they try to modernise by going against the Bible that they are supposed to view as their Holy Book.

Perhaps they don't believe what the Bible says. With all this in mind, I am watching, with interest, the outcome of the matter relating to gay marriage.

Keith Coleman, Ashby

WOMEN BISHOPS DISCRIMINATION

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Women bishops discrimination

The much maligned Human Rights and Equality Acts ban among other things gender discrimination, so how does the General Synod of the Church of England, whose head is our Queen, justify its refusal to allow women bishops?

This glass ceiling is illegal and the CofE should be prosecuted.

This ludicrous ruling comes hard on the heels of the death of a 31-year-old pregnant woman in a Belfast hospital who was refused a life-saving abortion on, would you believe it, religious grounds.

I wonder if the doctors responsible for this poor woman's death sleep well at night and would they have made the same decision if one of their own children was in a similar predicament?

Truly, God works in mysterious ways his wonders to perform.

Don Tallis, Wigston

SYNOD VOTE IS WRONG FOR THE CHURCH, SAYS THE BISHOP OF LEICESTER

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Synod vote is wrong for the church, says Bishop of Leicester

The Bishop of Leicester says the General Synod's decision to vote against the introduction of women bishops in the Church of England was a "personal blow".

Bishop Tim Stevens said he had invited members of the diocese to Leicester Cathedral tomorrow to reflect on the decision and "pray for the Church".

Draft legislation was carried through the houses of bishops and clergy but failed at the final hurdle when it did not gain the necessary two-thirds majority among lay members of the General Synod.

In a pastoral letter to his clergy, Bishop Tim said: "It is clear to me that this is a watershed moment in terms of the relationship between the Church of England and the nation.

"It is also likely to be a watershed in terms of the relationship between the General Synod and the dioceses.

"I know there will be many who find this decision incomprehensible."Yet we must respect and seek to understand the reasons why a significant minority of the House of Laity opposed the legislation.

"For myself, after 12 years of discussion in the House of Bishops, this comes as something of a personal blow.

"All of us know that an all-male episcopate cannot be a sustainable position for the Church of England into the future.

"If some proposals for change are the expression of God's will for the Church, then I believe they will prevail. We do not lose our heart in spite of our disappointment."

On Tuesday, the House of Bishops voted 44 in favour, with three against and two abstentions.

In the House of Clergy, 148 voted in favour and 45 against, with no abstentions.

But in the House of Laity, 74 voted against, compared with 132 in favour, with no abstentions.

Had the measure received final approval, it would have gone before the Parliament, with the first women bishops set to be appointed as early as 2014.

In his letter, which was sent yesterday, Bishop Tim urged Church followers to "take special care of each other at a time when some people will be bearing very personally the pain and disappointment".

He said that the majority of Church of England members wanted to move towards ordaining women as bishops and that the Church "remains faithfully at the service of the people of England without any discrimination whatsoever".

Canon Barry Naylor, the bishop's adviser on urban issues, said the rejection was "so very sad".

"I think my position is that the Church must move in this direction," he said.

"I think that in the eyes of the world it does make us look vaguely ridiculous.

"I think we need to listen to God in the scriptures, in the traditions of the church, but also we have got to listen to God speaking to us today."

The cathedral will be open for reflection tomorrow at 7.30pm.

CITY DEAN "HONOURED" BY NEW ROLE AT YORK MINSTER

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

City's Dean honoured by new role at York Minster

Dean of Leicester, the Very Rev Vivienne Faull, has been given the task of running one of England's biggest cathedrals.

Downing Street announced yesterday that Dean Faull was to be the new dean at York Minster – one of the most senior and prestigious deaneries in the Church of England.

Dean Faull, 57, has been responsible for Leicester Cathedral since 2000, when she was appointed provost of Leicester, the first woman to lead a Church of England cathedral. She became Dean of Leicester in 2002.

She said she was delighted and honoured to have been given the task of running one of England's biggest cathedrals.

She also thanked the people of Leicester for their support.

"The people of the parishes of the diocese, and of the cathedral, have gently and generously taken me into their care as I have learnt with and from them how to be a dean," she said.

"It is, of course, daunting to move from one of the smallest to one of the largest cathedrals, but I know there are many people who care deeply for York Minster, its mission and ministry, and I look forward to leading a large team on its continued development."

The Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Rev Tim Stevens, said: "I am delighted Viv Faull has been appointed as the next Dean of York.

"She has been a great ambassador for the cathedral and will leave it in a stronger position. I am glad her vision and leadership qualities will continue to be used in cathedral ministry."

Dean Faull has been at the forefront of the role of women in the church and was ordained in 1994.

She has been a member of the General Synod since 2004 and is on the panel of Chairs of Synod.

In 2009, she was elected chairman of the Association of English Cathedrals, the cathedrals' representative body.

She was also one of the founder directors of the company tasked with delivering St Martin's House, in Leicester, as the new centre for mission for the diocese, housing the offices of the diocese and cathedral. She succeeds Keith Jones, who retired in April, and is expected to take up her new post in September.

Although excited to be moving back north, Dean Faull says she will miss Leicester.

She said: "Having lived here for 12 years, I will leave part of my heart here, the city is very special."

Details regarding a service of farewell in Leicester Cathedral and her installation in York Minster will be published soon.

Christian MP sets up inquiry into religious discrimination

An interesting piece published today on the website of The Guardian:

Christian MP sets up inquiry into religious discrimination

Amid General Synod discussions on religious freedom, Gary Streeter calls on colleagues to examine hate crime and equality

By Riazat Butt, Religious Affairs Correspondent

A select committee-style inquiry on Christianity is to be held in order to clarify how the law affects believers, amid increasing claims of religious discrimination and persecution.

The public hearings, scheduled to last for about three months this autumn, will invite peers and politicians to examine legislation on hate crime and equality and evaluate whether changes are needed.

The inquiry is the idea of Gary Streeter MP, a Christian who chairs the cross-party group Christians in Parliament. He said that, while there was religious freedom in Britain, some groups were "whipping up an alternative view and generating fear" where there did not need to be any. He said: "That fear is growing, that voice is growing. There is a particular problem. In the last 12 months, we have had legal cases that provoked concern. These now need to be tackled."

Christian Legal Centre, which is at the forefront of representing those who feel they are being discriminated against in the workplace because of their beliefs, said earlier this year it had about 50 cases on its books and received up to five calls a day from Christians seeking to take action against employers for failing to respect their faith.

Their clients have included Colin Atkinson, an electrician who wanted to display a crucifix in his van, and Owen and Eunice Johns, who refused to tell foster children in their care that homosexuality was acceptable.

Streeter said the panel would invite submissions from legal professionals, businesses, individuals and social policy groups from faith and non-faith backgrounds.

"The outcome of our inquiry might be that the law needs to be nudged back in certain areas and we won't shy away from saying so," he said.

"The public at large don't care what we do but, in the Christian community, there is a measure of concern about the issue. They will be pleased to see Christian parliamentarians doing something. They will be pleased to receive some reassurance that the fear whipped up is not necessary.

"It's only people of the Christian faith running up into the law; secularists aren't doing that. We are not putting one group of people above one another."

The MP's move came as the Church of England grappled with the issue of religious freedom at this weekend's General Synod meeting in York.

The chair of its public affairs council, Dr Phillip Giddings, told the legislative arm of the Church of England that some employers had "interpreted the law in ways which seem to assume that reasonable respectful expressions of faith, are, almost by definition, offensive".

He said: "This is a cause of great concern. We shall continue to monitor the emerging case law on how far employers can lawfully limit the ability of Christians to manifest their faith in the workplace."

Synod member Alison Ruoff asked if he was aware of an increasing marginalisation of Christians, leading to persecution. Giddings replied: "I am well aware that many Christians believe that to be the case. We are reflecting those views in our dealings with government."

The bishop of Bradford, Nick Baines, welcomed the inquiry: "It will be a good thing to have people in parliament doing this kind of thing. They can nail down some of the myths.

"I don't believe Christians are being persecuted. Having said that, I do think there is still a degree of religious illiteracy which is prejudiced against Christians in some circumstances. To say we're being persecuted is nonsense."

Trevor Phillips, who chairs the Equality and Human Rights Commission, claimed last month that the person most likely to "feel slighted" because of their religion was an evangelical Christian.

In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, he said there were a lot of Christian activist voices who appeared "bent on stressing the kind of persecution that I don't think really exists in this country".