The Question: Should religions compete?

The Guardian's Comment is Free - belief website runs a weekly feature called The Question, posing one at the start of the week, then publishing commissioend responses on the Monday, Wednesday and Friday following (along with the facility for readers to post responses of their own). This week's question is, "Should Religions compete?"

Mormon missionaries make a house visit in Ulaan Baator, Mongolia, 8 July 2005. Photograph: Elizabeth Dalziel/AP

Should religions compete?

Would the world be a better place if religions concerned themselves only with the crimes and follies of their own?

Almost all monotheisms are missionary religions. It is not enough to worship one God: it must be the right one, and in the right way. The Church of England last week released a report saying that of course it was right to try to convert unbelievers – what else could it say? – and many Muslim missionary organisations are active in this country. Atheists are constantly trying to prove believers wrong; Jews may not proselytise much in the outside world but they are happy to convert each other. But is this wrong?

Does all this activity leave anyone wiser or better, or closer to the truth? Everyone knows how off-putting it is to be the victim of conversion attempts. And where does pointing out the folly of certain ideas shade into pointing out that the people who hold them are fools? The clash of ideas and of values is a central part of the modern liberal vision of a good society. It is meant to be one of the things that makes societies worth living in. But is it possible to carry things too far? And how do we stop arguments about ideas from becoming tribal? Would the world be a better place if religions concerned themselves only with the crimes and follies of their own: if Catholics only told other Catholics what to do, and atheists only lectured atheists?

CHURCHES CLOSE

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Churches close

Two city churches were set to close their doors for the last time today.

St Peter's Church, off Thurcaston Road, Belgrave, and St Gabriel's, in Kerrysdale Avenue, off Gipsy Lane, were set to close today.

The two churches form the Parish of the Resurrection, which also includes St Alban's, in Weymouth Street.

A decision to shut both St Peter's and St Gabriel's was taken by the Church of England because of dwindling congregations and costly heating and repair bills.

SACRE AGM

At Holy Trinity Church, Regent Road this afternoon, for the Annual General Meeting of Leicester SACRE (Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education). The meeting is being held upstairs, in what appears to be the church's Sunday School.

Linda Bradshaw, Advanced Skills Teacher at Rushey Mead School, gives a presentation on "Training: What is a Secondary AST?" There are quite a lot of people in a very small room on a very warm day. I'm beginning to feel the effects of the heat at this point, and start gonking in the front row. Very disrespectful, of course, so I nip out for a few minutes to try and wake up a little, with some coffee in the room where refreshments were being served before the meeting started. I can follow Linda's presentation, which so am trying not to miss anything. As I pace the room slowly, listening to Linda's talk which comes through from the next room loud and clear, my eye is caught by some of the prayers by children from the Sunday School, which have been put up on the wall. Some are in the child's own hand, some written down by adults. Many of them are asking for health and healing for family members or friends. Some ask help directly: "Dear God, Please heal my baby tooth"; "Dear God, Please make my snot stop"; "Dear God, Please help me to find a friend at playtime". Some of the prayers are quite touching.

I get to make a small contribution when we discuss developments on our booklet project, "Engaging with Leicester's Faith Communities", especially in relation to our meeting at Leicester Tigers with representatives of the city's gurdwaras.

Stephanie Maud (who teaches at Leicester College) is elected Chair. I've known Stephanie for over 20 years and I'm sure she'll do a fine job in this position. A vote of thanks is proposed for Rosemary Stokes, who stands down as Chair.

my management group

Meeting in the Welcome Centre, 1400-1600, it's my management group. Five members (all of whom are able to be present today), members of the Council of Faiths who represent the local Bahá'í, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Sikh communities. It's always a lively meeting - and that's not a euphemism for bad tempered or contentious. My post generates a lot of discussion and the members of my management group contribute to it with strength and feeling. I really appreciate the diversity of experience and views that they bring to this meeting and that they lend to me and my work. Their input and support is crucial for keeping my post moving forward.

Diversity, difference and sexuality

An event in the Multi-Faith Centre at the University of Derby this evening co-hosted by Derbyshire Friend and Forum of Faiths for Derby. It's entitled "Diversity, Difference & Sexuality". We're welcomed by Stephen Greasley (Chair of Forum of Faiths for Derby and minister of Peartree Baptist Church) and Melvin Harris (Trustee, Derbyshire Friend). There are a dozen of us here this evening. We split into two groups (the one I'm in is chaired by Stephen, the other by Melvin) and consider these questions:

"Over issues of sexuality there are often very marked differences of opinion within faith communities and the the LGBT communities. There are also differences between the faith communities and the LGBT communities over issues of sexuality. How can we hold differing viewpoints and uphold mutual respect for those differing views at the same time?"

"How do we dispel myths and stereotypes, and spread understanding and education within and between faith communities and the LGBT community?"

"What core values might we all be able to agree upon, that come from our different communities? What would a just and fair society look like?"

I told Stephen about the current year's Faith to Faith programme of public meetings at the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art in Glasgow, much of which focuses on faith communities and LGBT issues. He asks me to come forward and say a bit about this to help inform our discussion.

The Multi-Faith Centre has, for the past five years, been working on a Europe-wide project in training and education on faith issues in relation to other topics. Currently they're developing material on "Religion, Gender and Sexuality" - and would like to pilot this with the kind of people who are here tonight.

This is the first event I've attended at the Multi-Faith Centre, although I've been here once before just for a look-around. We're in a lovely tall, airy room and the door is open onto a grassy slope; we can hear kids playing football outside ("Jumpers for goalposts" and all that!)

My iPhone ran out of charge hours ago. I've become over-reliant on it and I haven't bothered to check the train timetables since I couldn't do it on my National Rails app. I ask for a lift to the railway station, without having any idea what times the trains will run. I arrive too late to catch a direct train to Leicester - a trip that can take only 22 minutes on a good day. but tonight I have to travel via Nottingham, with an hour-long wait there, so I don't get home till the stroke of midnight.

I found this a very interesting meeting, not only from the perspective of Leicester Council of Faiths, but also from that of the Regional Equality and Divesity Partnership (REDP). Something like this, which crosses the streams (if you don't mind the Ghostbusters allusion) is right up REDP's street.

East Midlands regional event: Knowledge, Impact & Success

At the Riverside Centre, Pride Park, Derby, for a conference jointly sponsored by the Big Lottery Fund, Capacity Builders and One East Midlands. The title of this regional event, "Knowledge, Impact and Success" offers an upbeat face when much of the sector is unsettled in the light of changes, cuts and contractions threatened by the new economic regime of the Coalition Government. But there's actually no doubting that there is a generally upbeat air about the proceedings here today. The Voluntary and Community Sector has never been comfortable and safe, never really felt at ease with its political masters, never been able to look to the future with security and certainty. Things may look unsettled and grim all round, but many people are saying, "Well, what's new?" Oh, what is new is that it seems that we're not the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) now, we've been dubbed "Civil Society Organisations" (CSO). I spent a fair bit of time yesterday, going through some of REDP's texts, making it read consistently, "Voluntary and Community Sector" and "VCS". Does this mean I need to go back through all that and change them all again?

Be that as it may, it's another worthwhile trip out of Leicester. Laura Horton, Project Manager of REDP, and I are here to make contacts and make an impression. I'd like to think we manage to do both. In the afternoon, we conduct three "speed dating" workshops, where we both sit at a table while someone comes and sits with us for up to 20 minutes and quizzes us about our organisation and its work. I'd been asked to write a short  piece about REDP's work for Insight, the One East Midlands magazine, which is in delegates' packs today. We were a bit anxious about this when we saw the proofs a week or so ago, and were unable to make some alterations that we thought necessary - but seeing the finished product, I'm glad to say that it's turned out just fine.

The event finishes at three o'clock, to allow everyone to follow the England v Slovakia match at the World Cup. I end up watching it in a big hall behind where we've had our conference, sitting with the centre staff, who've been given a few free hours in the afternoon to cheer on Rooney & Co. I enter into the spirit of things with a great big chip butty. But then I reveal my true nature by putting mayo on my chips, rather than ketchup. Mind you, it could have been worse. I could have really given myself away by asking for a can of Irn Bru!

FAITHS FORUM EAST MIDLANDS AGM

To Loughborough University early this evening, for the Annual General Meeting of Faiths Forum for the East Midlands (FFEM). The meeting is being held in the university's Faith and Spirituality Centre - a facility I've not visited before. We're welcomed by Simon Harrison, Director of the Centre, which will become fully operational for students and staff at the university come the new term in September. Councillor Jill Vincent, Mayor of Charnwood, is the special guest.


I'm wearing two hats this evening: one for Leicester Council of Faiths, the other for the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership (REDP). Faiths Forum for the East Midlands is one of the few organisations focusing on one of the "protected characteristics" that has a remit to operate across the region. It's a natural partner for REDP and some of its personnel have given solid support at a number of REDP's Involvement Events in different parts of the East Midlands over recent months. CEO Patrica Stoat highlights FFEM's association with REDP when presenting her annual report. I was asked to write a short piece about REDP's work for inclusion in the latest edition of FFEM's newsletter, which is distributed to attendees this evening.


Leicester Council of Faiths is a constituent member of FFEM. Our former Chair, Resham Singh Sandhu, is a Trustee of FFEM, representing Leicester Council of Faiths. Our Coordinator, Ajay Aggarwal, is also a Trustee.


I get to chat with some members of the local congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (AKA Mormons). Their counterparts in Leicester wrote recently to our Council of Faiths, making initial enquiries about obtaining representation. I explain to them that while no decision has been made about their request at any recent meeting, the Council of Faiths is obliged, by the terms of our status as Host Organisation for Leicester Partnership on issues to do with religion, faith and belief, to establish good working relations with as many of the city's faith communities as possible. This doesn't mean that we're compelled to increase our membership, but it's against the spirit of our arrangement with the Local Strategic Partnership to allow anyone to feel left out.


Speaker this evening is Sandra Herbert on "Faith and the Media". Sandra has considerable knowledge and lengthy experience of this topic, having worked as a producer with BBC Radio Leicester and trained people from various faith backgrounds in media skills. lengthyShe gives a lively, amusing and inspiring presentation. She makes lovely jam too. Lots of people make jam, but this is none of your amateurish, kitchen table homemade stuff. Very professional, with some unusual combinations - her pear and chocolate one is my kids' favourite. The one she's showing off this evening is gooseberry and strawberry - just the one pot. I buy it from her.


In response to Sandra's presentation, I get a chance to plug Leicester Council of Faiths' foray into social media: Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and (of course) this blog.


It's an auspicious time to be discussing this topic as Channel 4 has just announced the introduction of a new daily religious slot entitled 4thought (can you see what they've done there?). This will to be broadcast immediately following their main news, just before eight o'clock. Channel 4's head of specialist factual, Ralph Lee, said contributors to the slot will be "as diverse as the views expressed". They will include members of minority religions, such as Bahá'í and Zoroastrianism.


Today's trivia: four people sharing a taxi from Loughborough to Leicester works out cheaper for each individual than buying a single on the train - even though Loughborough and Leicester are one stop apart and the train journey takes just ten minutes.

REDP delivery group (2)

At Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living (LCIL) this morning, for the second weekly meeting of our delivery group for the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership (REDP). Six of us are together here: REDP Chair Iris Lightfoote (The Race Equality Centre - TREC), Laura Horton (REDP Project manager), Liz Harrison (Equality Officer, LCIL/REDP), Kelly Jusab (REDP) and Carolyn Pasco (Researcher, REDP) and me. Today we focus on:

expanding our use of Twitter, in particular increasing the number of other "twitterers" whom REDP is following. This will improve our facility to retweet relevant information to those who are following us.

seeing how we could make as speedy as possible a response to provisions affecting our field of work in the Chancellor's Emergency budget, being announced today.

developing a one-page guide to the Equality Act 2010.

considering suitable areas of work in which to offer our distinctive services.

There are a number of events taking place in the East Midlands over the next few weeks in which we've been asked to be involved, so we're also talking about what we can do at those.

As we often do, we spend some time refining REDP's aims and objectives etc. We do this regularly, to keep abreast of the shifting political, economic and social landscape, while remaining true to the content of our original business plan. I do enjoy the cut'n'thrust of this kind of discussion, as we try to concentrate our various meanings and interpretations into the best form of words. I'm reminded today especially of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's statement that, "The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions." (or, as we used to put it in Glasgow, "... only after the clash of differing heads"!)

"To me!", "To you!"

A bit of lifting and shifting this morning, with the assistance of Tony Stokes, from the Methodist Church next door. He and I clear the downstairs office of the last of the display materials that had previously been used by the Just shop. We get them out of the door at Pilgrim House, then in the next one at the church. These various bits and pieces have been taking up space in the downstairs office since Just moved out near the end of 2009. Some of the bits have been blocking the window, concealing that there's an empty room in such a public and vulnerable situation. But we have a pair of nice magnolia-coloured venetian blinds now - although when viewed from outside, the blinds reveal the previously unnoticed fact that one of the windows is tinted; so they look more like a coffee and cream combination than being two of the same colour.

Carpet cleaners coming today. Then the place will be in a pretty decent state to start functioning as my working office. Well, clean carpets and new blinds are definitely steps in the right direction!

escape to safety

Refugee Week (14-20 June) is a nationwide programme of arts, cultural and educational events, celebrating the contribution of refugees to the UK and encouraging a better understanding between communities. Among many events for this special week in Leicester, Newarke Houses Museum is playing host to Escape to Safety - an interactive exhibition that takes you on a simulated journey, during which you walk through 8 stations inside a 40ft trailer. You are accompanied by the voices of refugees from Rwanda, Afghanistan and Palestine, and live through their experiences as they cope with border guards and immigration officials. You witness their treatment at the hands of the media. Escape to Safety is open beyond the end of the official national observance of Refugee Week - until Friday 25 June.

I caught my first glimpse of the trailer as I walked through the Newarke this evening and took a few photos of it. Impressive, isn't it? I even climbed up on a window sill at DMU's engineering building to get some shots.

Find out more about Escape to Safety:
http://www.globallink.org.uk/exhibitions/e2s/

Find out more about Refugee Week:
http://www.refugeeweek.org.uk/