PROTESTERS NEED TO GET POINT ACROSS

This Op-Ed piece is published in today's Leicester Mercury:

Protesters need to get point across

It is time for the Occupy movement in Leicester to do more to get their message across or just pack up and go home. Most people don't really know what they are doing and are unlikely to bother asking.

Rather people will view them as a blot on the city's landscape.

We believe, however, that they have chosen a noble cause to pursue and, as long as they operate within the boundaries of the law, we accept that they are fighting the good fight.

The concern we have is that the activists who make up Occupy Leicester, Wall Street, Berlin, Zurich, or wherever are not getting a clear message across.

This appears to be the perception of many people.

So far, the occupation has not been successful in influencing banks to consider handing over their profits and share them out. It has also not caused much concern for politicians.

We are aware that the Occupy movement is an ongoing peaceful protest and a demonstration against economic inequality, a lack of affordability of housing, social injustice, corporate greed and the influence of companies but we fear it is going nowhere.

Our story today says that Occupy Leicester has now moved above the Litten Tree pub, in High Street.

The group will now be less visible than they were before, however the group say they'll be warmer and be able to conduct their campaign better from the office space.

We hope that they can start to get their message across, as the current apathy towards what the Occupy Movement is doing is getting it nowhere.

OCCUPY LEICESTER PROTESTERS MOVE INTO EMPTY OFFICE FOR WINTER

This article is published in today's Leicester Mercury:

Occupy Leicester protesters move into an empty office for winter

Protesters from the Occupy Leicester movement have taken their struggle against government corruption, corporate greed and the winter weather indoors.

The campaigners, who have been based outside the entrance to the Highcross shopping centre, on High Street, for the past five weeks, had been discussing a "new tactic" which would allow them to expand their numbers during the bitter midwinter temperatures.

On Saturday, they entered an unlocked, disused office above the former Litten Tree pub, also on High Street, and have remained there since.

Spokesman Anthony Farrow said they occupied the building legally and police, who visited the building on Sunday morning, were satisfied their entry was above board.

Anthony, 22, an animation and design student at De Montfort University, said: "We've taken an old, out-of-use office block. The door was left open so we haven't forced entry and we were able to claim the building lawfully."

Anthony, who works two jobs as well as spending most nights at the camp, says the move to a warmer base will allow more people to become regularly involved.

He also hopes the new base will allow the group to host debates and public meetings.

They will still maintain a presence outdoors by erecting a stall on the street outside the building.

He said: "We were concerned about people's health and this allows more people to get involved in the Christmas period. We plan to stay until the spring, then we'll move back out when it gets warm again."

Kieran Murray, 18, said: "It's quite a good move because the London occupiers did the same thing. We've done it with a corporate building, so it's targeting the things we're aiming at."

Kieran, a call centre manager from Nottingham, had originally been based with the Occupy movement there, but moved to the Leicester camp soon after it set up.

However, he was forced to return home for a fortnight after contracting pneumonia.

He said: "It got to the stage where I had to go home to rest and recuperate. I've managed to keep on top of (my work) from the camp.

"A lot of staff at the call centre are really supportive and think it's a brilliant thing, but I've not heard too much from my boss."

The building is owned by Safe Computing Ltd, a software and outsourcing provider based on nearby Freeschool Lane. The company declined to comment yesterday.

James Coningsby, head of commercial property at Nelsons Solicitors, on New Walk, Leicester, says the protestors would have no right to remain squatting in the building should the owner decide to take action, and would have to leave within two days if served with a notice to do so.

He said: "The fact of the matter is they haven't committed a criminal act, but in terms of a defence they don't have one in my view.

"I think it's quite rare for commercial property to be occupied in this way, but there are occasions when this does happen."

A police spokesperson said any dispute over the occupation which may arise would be a civil matter between the owner and the protesters.

NHS STAFF BRIEFINGS AT CLARENDON & COLEMAN WARDS, EVINGTON CENTRE

At the Evington Centre, Leicester General Hospital this afternoon, promoting the NHS Staff Multi-Faith Resource that Leicester Council of Faiths has helped produce for Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT).

I'm here with Abida Hussain, Equalities and Human Rights Officer in LPT's Integrated Equality Service, as we continue the process of briefing members of LPT staff most likely to use this resource.

We’re here specifically to meet staff on Clarendon Ward and Coleman Ward, our visits timed to coincide with briefing points when handing over shifts, so we can speak to both incoming and outgoing staff members.

The Evington Centre provides care to older people with long term mental health needs. Clarendon Ward has historically served people in the county, while Coleman Ward has performed the same function for people in the city.

We have further visits to this venue scheduled for later in the week, but other wards have been closed to visitors because of an outbreak of D&V (figure it out, faithful reader). So we'll need to check if those visits can still go ahead on the day.

ANTI-CUTS PROTESTERS TARGET BIG RETAILERS

This article is published in today's Leicester Mercury:

Anti-cuts protesters target big retailers

Campaigners have staged a protest outside branches of high street chains they say are not paying enough tax.

Members of Occupy Leicester, which has set up a camp in High Street, protested on behalf of the UK Uncut movement, which promotes what it says are alternatives to the Government's spending cuts.

The demonstration was coordinated with 13 others in towns and cities across the country, including London, Manchester and Glasgow.

Nicole Thompson, 17, from Leicester, said: "We're campaigning about the miniscule taxes that big high street brands pay each year.

"People in the public sector are losing pensions and facing redundancies and some private company staff are getting fat bonuses.

"It's not on."

Dane Smith, 23, from Leicester, is living at the Occupy Leicester camp, which has been a fixture in the city centre for five weeks.He said: "People are losing their jobs in the public sector and the Government is doing nothing about it."

Public sector worker Jackie, 47, was at the demonstration, but is not taking part in the camp.

She said: "I work with people who have to choose between food and warmth.

"They – and us – are paying for the mess that banks have got us into.

"It's about time we stuck together and showed we will not stand for it."

DANGER OF SENSATIONALIST CLAIMS

This letter from Suleman Nagdi appears in today's Leicester Mercury, responding to Manzoor Moghal's First Person column, published in the Mercury on 13 December (and posted in full on this blog).

Danger of sensationalist claims

I write in relation to the article 'Understanding the history of religious conflict' (Mailbox, December 13) by Manzoor Moghal.

Brother Manzoor makes certain claims; I ask from whose history is he writing from? If we learn anything from history, it's that history portrays nothing in a positive light, only that it reports what was depending on which side you were on. Both religion and race have played important and sometimes deeply interconnected roles in Indian history for that matter worldwide. Religion was used to justify both segregation and desegregation.

The writer makes a number of charges against the Deobandi school of thought which require closer examination. The link to the Taliban is an interesting one especially when the vast majority of Taliban foot soldiers as well as the leadership have never set foot in India, let alone Deoband. To simply associate orthodoxy in practice with violent extremism is a very dangerous claim. Most of Al Qaeda's ideology and origins are not in imperialist India but developments in Arabia and parts of Africa in the 20th century.

The author unfortunately makes the sensationalist claim that "Historically Islam and the West have been locked in conflict for centuries". He is locked in a mind-set. For example, nearly three million Muslims perished during the first and second world wars. The recent Remembrance Day commemorations reminded us of their efforts. Islam through science and the arts has contributed a great deal towards enriching the very societies we now live in.

In relation to the division of Islam with Hinduism and Sikhism, the writer is short-sighted because members of these three faiths have lived together, migrated together, worked together and celebrated together for centuries in the Asian sub-continent and Africa.

To do justice to the subject we need to create an unbiased approach at the same time recognising that alternative views exist, it is very easy to blame the "Wahabist founded Deobandi school of thought" or for that matter any other school of thought.

We are already aware that extremists in all their ugly disguises come from many sources, in many cases through vulnerability, be it mental health, environment, change of circumstances or a journey an individual takes. We should be spending our energy in creating an atmosphere of working together to root out extremism in whatever disguise it comes from rather than making sensationalist claims.

Suleman Nagdi, Leicester

HISTORIC BUILDING IS SET TO BECOME PLACE OF WORSHIP

This article is published in today's Leicester Mercury:

Historic building is set to become place of worship 

By Dan Martin 

One of Leicester's landmark historic buildings has been bought by Hare Krishna devotees, who plan to turn it into a place of worship. 

The Victorian former bank, in Granby Street, in the city centre, has been acquired by the Leicester members of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). 

The group has been seeking a permanent base since its previous temple, in Thoresby Street, North Evington, Leicester, was destroyed by an explosion in September last year. 

Members have been worshipping in rented spaces since then, and said they were looking forward to moving into the 1870s-built, Grade II-listed property. 

The building has lain empty for three years since HSBC quit the premises, and has recently been added to English Heritage's list of significant buildings at risk of falling into disrepair. 

President of ISKCON, Pradyumna Das, said the building would be open to the public. 

He said: "This is a great opportunity for us to bring back into use a fantastic building right at the heart of the city. 

"As well as a focus on spirituality and self-realisation, we want to invite the people of our county to come and learn about the heritage of the place and celebrate its wonderful architecture." The society intends to restore the building to its former glory and bring it back into use as a place of worship with a range of community activities, eventually providing a restaurant, yoga and meditation studio, and self-development workshops. 

The amount paid for the property has not been revealed. 

But the purchase has been made possible thanks to the financial support of an unnamed family based in London and Leicester. 

A spokesman for the family said: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to offer not only a place of worship but also a place of spiritual learning for all the people of Leicester." 

ISKCON spokesman Pradip Gajjar said: "We are very excited, but it could be some time before we are able to move in." 

Stuart Bailey, chairman of Leicester Civic Society, has described the building as "an outstanding example of Victorian Gothic architecture – probably the finest in the city". 

He said of the purchase: "This is great news because there were fears the building would fall into disrepair. 

"There are already some problems with the roof and I imagine they will want to get in there quickly because the longer they leave it the more repairs they will have to make. 

"This building is a real stunner and when they built it, it was way ahead of its time. I think its massive banking hall will make a wonderful place of worship."

NO CHRISTMAS BREAK FOR "OCCUPATION" CAMPAIGN IN LEICESTER

This article is published in today's Leicester Mercury:

No Christmas break for "Occupation" campaign in Leicester

It started with just one tent – but five weeks on, more than 40 people are taking it in turns to camp in Leicester's High Street in protest against corporate greed.

Anti-capitalist protesters say the Occupy Leicester camp will get bigger as we approach Christmas and New Year.

The camp appeared in the city after similar protests in New York and London, which began in September and October respectively.

The Leicester camp is growing and its supporters don't plan to break off for Christmas.

Dane Smith, 23, from Leicester, has been part of the group since it started.

Dane, an unemployed film studies graduate, believes the movement so far has been "a terrific success".

He said: "This weekend will be five weeks since we came here which is a massive achievement.

"What we're looking at now is the future and how we can carry on."

Dane was reluctant to discuss future plans further, but said "new tactics" would allow more of its members to stay at the camp for a prolonged period of time.

About 40 people are now sleeping at the camp on a regular basis, with about a quarter of that number staying there most nights.

Dane said they also had big plans for a protest today, but would not give any more details.

He said: "We've got new tactics which are secret at the moment but should help us keep going."

Dane plans to spend just four or five hours with his family on Christmas Day before returning to the camp.

He said: "They're pretty used to my protesting and activism, so there's no real surprise."

The group has regular contact with similar movements in London and Nottingham.

One Nottingham member has transferred to spend most of their time in Leicester, while one from the London camp spends most weekends here.

Warehouse worker Mark Smith, from Leicester, joined the protest after its first week.

He sleeps at the High Street base and only leaves the camp to work his shifts.

Mark, 41, from Leicester, is unfazed by sleeping in the cold weather because, as a keen angler, he has already been doing it for 32 years.

He believes the camp's message is gaining momentum.

He said: "There are more people supporting us because they understand why we're here.

"We want to end Government corruption and force the banks to stop throwing our money away."

Away from the camp, Mark says he has received support from his 14-year-old son as well as a work colleague.

He said: "I've only mentioned it to one person at work and they were supportive of us.

"My son's been a couple of times but he's not going to sleep down here."

The group said most passers-by were friendly and happy to debate but they still encounter trouble with drunks on Friday and Saturday nights.

Mark said: "The police and council have been great with us."I'm just hoping it gets us as far as it can, because the longer we stay here the better chance we have of making a difference."

THIS WEEK'S VISITORS (1,360)

Regular update on the number of pageviews received from different parts of the world in the week just ending.

1. United Kingdom 695
2. United States 345
3. Germany 86
4. Russia 62
5. India 52
6. France 47
7. Ukraine 36
8. Indonesia 14
9. UAE 12
10. Japan 11

This week's total: 1,360 (last week's: 1,247). These are aggregates of figures from the top ten countries only. Blogger's stats software doesn't show me numbers of pageviews below the tenth-ranking country.

The world map at the top of this post is the graphic that I see on the stats page. The darker the green, the more pageviews from that country. I can see different versions of that map for "now" (whenever that is), "today", "this week", "this month" and "all time" (which seems to mean the last 12 months). They're updated each time I look at them.

PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH RE KING JAMES BIBLE

Here's the full text of a speech given by Prime Minister David Cameron Oxford's Christ Church Cathedral today, commemorating the version's 400th anniversary.

This text is taken from the official site of the British Prime Minister's Office. I've fiddled with the punctuation a little, without changing the meaning of course. On the No. 10 website the text is laid out in a very bitty style (e.g. with pauses indicated) which makes it a little harder to read on screen.

I've collected a few of the responses to the speech which have been published online at the foot of this entry, after the speech itself.

It’s great to be here and to have this opportunity to come together today to mark the end of this very special 400th anniversary year for the King James Bible.

I know there are some who will question why I am giving this speech.

And if they happen to know that I’m setting out my views today in a former home of the current Archbishop of Canterbury and in front of many great theologians and church leaders they really will think I have entered the lions’ den.

But I am proud to stand here and celebrate the achievements of the King James Bible.

Not as some great Christian on a mission to convert the world.

But because, as Prime Minister, it is right to recognise the impact of a translation that is, I believe, one of this country’s greatest achievements. 

The Bible is a book that has not just shaped our country, but shaped the world.

And with three Bibles sold or given away every second, a book that is not just important in understanding our past, but which will continue to have a profound impact in shaping our collective future.

In making this speech I claim no religious authority whatsoever.

I am a committed – but I have to say vaguely practising – Church of England Christian, who will stand up for the values and principles of my faith but who is full of doubts and, like many, constantly grappling with the difficult questions when it comes to some of the big theological issues.

But what I do believe is this.

The King James Bible is as relevant today as at any point in its 400 year history.

And none of us should be frightened of recognising this.

Why?

Put simply, three reasons.

First, the King James Bible has bequeathed a body of language that permeates every aspect of our culture and heritage from everyday phrases to our greatest works of literature, music and art.

We live and breathe the language of the King James Bible, sometimes without even realising it.

And it is right that we should acknowledge this – particularly in this anniversary year.

Second, just as our language and culture is steeped in the Bible, so too is our politics.

From human rights and equality to our constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy from the role of the church in the first forms of welfare provision, to the many modern day faith-led social action projects the Bible has been a spur to action for people of faith throughout history, and it remains so today. 

Third, we are a Christian country.  

And we should not be afraid to say so.

Let me be clear: I am not in any way saying that to have another faith – or no faith – is somehow wrong.

I know and fully respect that many people in this country do not have a religion. 

And I am also incredibly proud that Britain is home to many different faith communities, who do so much to make our country stronger.

But what I am saying is that the Bible has helped to give Britain a set of values and morals which make Britain what it is today.

Values and morals we should actively stand up and defend.

The alternative of moral neutrality should not be an option.

You can’t fight something with nothing. 

Because if we don’t stand for something, we can’t stand against anything. 

Let me take each of these points in turn.

First, language and culture.

Powerful language is incredibly evocative. 

It crystallises profound, sometimes complex, thoughts and suggests a depth of meaning far beyond the words on the page giving us something to share, to cherish, to celebrate.

Part of the glue that can help to bind us together.

Along with Shakespeare, the King James Bible is a high point of the English language creating arresting phrases that move, challenge and inspire.

One of my favourites is the line “For now we see through a glass, darkly.” 

It is a brilliant summation of the profound sense that there is more to life, that we are imperfect, that we get things wrong, that we should strive to see beyond our own perspective. 

The key word is darkly – profoundly loaded, with many shades of meaning.

I feel the power is lost in some more literal translations.

The New International Version says: “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror”

The Good News Bible: “What we see now is like a dim image in a mirror”

They feel not just a bit less special but dry and cold, and don’t quite have the same magic and meaning. 

Like Shakespeare, the King James translation dates from a period when the written word was intended to be read aloud.

And this helps to give it a poetic power and sheer resonance that in my view is not matched by any subsequent translation.

It has also contributed immensely to the spread of spoken English around the world.

Indeed, the language of the King James Bible is very much alive today.

I’ve already mentioned the lions’ den.

Just think about some of the other things we all say. 

Phrases like strength to strength… how the mighty are fallen… the skin of my teeth… the salt of the earth… nothing new under the sun.

According to one recent study there are 257 of these phrases and idioms that come from the Bible.

These phrases are all around us from court cases to TV sitcoms and from recipe books to pop music lyrics.

Of course, there is a healthy debate about the extent to which it was the King James version that originated the many phrases in our language today.

And it’s right to recognise the impact of earlier versions like Tyndale, Wycliffe, Douai-Rheims, the Bishops and Geneva Bibles too.

The King James Bible does exactly that setting out with the stated aim of making a good translation better, or out of many good ones, to make “one principall good one”.

But what is clear is that the King James version gave the Bible’s many expressions a much more widespread public presence.

Much of that dissemination has come through our literature, through the great speeches we remember and the art and music we still enjoy today.

From Milton to Morrison and Coleridge to Cormac McCarthy the Bible supports the plot, context, language and sometimes even the characters in some of our greatest literature.

Tennyson makes over 400 Biblical references in his poems and makes allusions to 42 different books of the Bible.

The Bible has infused some of the greatest speeches from Martin Luther King’s dream that Isaiah’s prophecy would be fulfilled and that one day “every valley shall be exalted” to Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address which employed not just Biblical words but cadence and rhythms borrowed from the King James Bible as well.
When Lincoln said that his forefathers “brought forth” a new nation, he was imitating the way in which the Bible announced the birth of Jesus.

The Bible also runs through our art.

From Giotto to El Greco and Michelangelo to Stanley Spencer.

The paintings in Sandham Memorial Chapel in Berkshire are some of my favourite works of art.

Those who died in Salonika rising to heaven is religious art in the modern age and, in my view, as powerful as some of what has come before.

And the Bible runs through our music too. From the great oratorios like J S Bach’s Matthew and John Passions and Handel’s Messiah to the wealth of music written across the ages for mass and evensong in great cathedrals like this one.

The Biblical settings of composers from Tallis to Taverner are regularly celebrated here in this great cathedral and will sustain our great British tradition of choral music for generations to come.

It’s impossible to do justice in a short speech to the full scale of the cultural impact of the King James Bible.

But what is clear is that four hundred years on, this book is still absolutely pivotal to our language and culture.

And that’s one very good reason for us all to recognise it today.

A second reason is this.

Just as our language and culture is steeped in the Bible, so too is our politics.

The Bible runs through our political history in a way that is often not properly recognised. 

The history and existence of a constitutional monarchy owes much to a Bible in which Kings were anointed and sanctified with the authority of God and in which there was a clear emphasis on the respect for Royal Power and the need to maintain political order.

Jesus said: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

And yet at the same time, the Judeo-Christian roots of the Bible also provide the foundations for protest and for the evolution of our freedom and democracy.

The Torah placed the first limits on Royal Power.

And the knowledge that God created man in his own image was, if you like, a game changer for the cause of human dignity and equality.

In the ancient world this equity was inconceivable.

In Athens for example, full and equal rights were the preserve of adult, free born men.

But when each and every individual is related to a power above all of us and when every human being is of equal and infinite importance, created in the very image of God we get the irrepressible foundation for equality and human rights, a foundation that has seen the Bible at the forefront of the emergence of democracy, the abolition of slavery and the emancipation of women – even if not every church has always got the point!

Crucially the translation of the Bible into English made all this accessible to many who had previously been unable to comprehend the Latin versions. 

And this created an unrelenting desire for change.

The Putney debates in the Church of St Mary the Virgin in 1647 saw the first call for One Man, One vote and the demand that authority be invested in the House of Commons rather than the King.

Reading the Bible in English gave people equality with each other through God.

And this led them to seek equality with each other through government. 

In a similar way, the Bible provides a defining influence on the formation of the first welfare state.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus says that whatever people have done “unto one of the least of these my brethren” they have done unto him.

Just as in the past it was the influence of the church that enabled hospitals to be built, charities created, the hungry fed, the sick nursed and the poor given shelter so today faith based groups are at the heart of modern social action.

Organisations like the Church Urban Fund which has supported over 5,000 faith based projects in England’s poorest communities including the Near Neighbours Programme which Eric Pickles helped to launch last month.

And St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace in London’s Bishopsgate a building once destroyed by an IRA bomb but now a centre where people divided by conflict, culture or religion can meet and listen to each other’s perspective.

In total, there are almost 30,000 faith based charities in this country not to mention the thousands of people who step forward as individuals, as families, as communities, as organisations and yes, as churches and do extraordinary things to help build a bigger, richer, stronger, more prosperous and more generous society.

And when it comes to the great humanitarian crises – like the famine in Horn of Africa – again you can count on faith-based organisations like Christian Aid, Tearfund, CAFOD, Jewish Care, Islamic Relief, and Muslim Aid to be at the forefront of the action to save lives.

So it’s right to recognise the huge contribution our faith communities make to our politics. and to recognise the role of the Bible in inspiring many of their works.

People often say that politicians shouldn’t “do God.”

If by that they mean we shouldn’t try to claim a direct line to God for one particular political party they could not be more right. 

But we shouldn’t let our caution about that stand in the way of recognising both what our faith communities bring to our country and also just how incredibly important faith is to so many people in Britain. 

The Economist may have published the obituary of God in their Millennium issue.

But in the past century, the proportion of people in the world who adhere to the four biggest religions has actually increased from around two-thirds to nearly three quarters and is forecast to continue rising.

For example, it is now thought there are at least 65 million protestants in China and 12 million Catholics – more Christians than there are members of the communist party. 

Official numbers indicate China has about 20 million Muslims – almost as many as in Saudi Arabia – and nearly twice as many as in the whole of the EU.

And by 2050, some people think China could well be both the world’s biggest Christian nation and its biggest Muslim one too.

Here in Britain we only have to look at the reaction to the Pope’s visit last year this year’s Royal Wedding or of course the festival of Christmas next week, to see that Christianity is alive and well in our country. 

The key point is this.

Societies do not necessarily become more secular with modernity but rather more plural, with a wider range of beliefs and commitments.

And that brings me to my third point.

The Bible has helped to shape the values which define our country.

Indeed, as Margaret Thatcher once said, “we are a nation whose ideals are founded on the Bible.”

Responsibility, hard work, charity, compassion, humility, self-sacrifice, love, pride in working for the common good and honouring the social obligations we have to one another, to our families and our communities … these are the values we treasure. 

Yes, they are Christian values.

And we should not be afraid to acknowledge that.

But they are also values that speak to us all – to people of every faith and none. 

And I believe we should all stand up and defend them.

Those who oppose this usually make the case for secular neutrality.

They argue that by saying we are a Christian country and standing up for Christian values we are somehow doing down other faiths.

And that the only way not to offend people is not to pass judgement on their behaviour.

I think these arguments are profoundly wrong.

And being clear on this is absolutely fundamental to who we are as a people, what we stand for and the kind of society we want to build. 

First, those who say being a Christian country is doing down other faiths simply don’t understand that it is easier for people to believe and practise other faiths when Britain has confidence in its Christian identity.

Many people tell me it is much easier to be Jewish or Muslim here in Britain than it is in a secular country like France.

Why?

Because the tolerance that Christianity demands of our society provides greater space for other religious faiths too. 

And because many of the values of a Christian country are shared by people of all faiths and indeed by people of no faith at all.

Second, those who advocate secular neutrality in order to avoid passing judgement on the behaviour of others fail to grasp the consequences of that neutrality or the role that faith can play in helping people to have a moral code.

Let’s be clear.

Faith is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition for morality.

There are Christians who don’t live by a moral code.

And there are atheists and agnostics who do.

But for people who do have a faith, their faith can be a helpful prod in the right direction.

And whether inspired by faith or not – that direction, that moral code, matters.

Whether you look at the riots last summer, the financial crash and the expenses scandal or the on-going terrorist threat from Islamist extremists around the world, one thing is clear: moral neutrality or passive tolerance just isn’t going to cut it any more.

Shying away from speaking the truth about behaviour, about morality has actually helped to cause some of the social problems that lie at the heart of the lawlessness we saw with the riots.

The absence of any real accountability, or moral code allowed some bankers and politicians to behave with scant regard for the rest of society.

And when it comes to fighting violent extremism, the almost fearful passive tolerance of religious extremism that has allowed segregated communities to behave in ways that run completely counter to our values has not contained that extremism but allowed it to grow and prosper in the process blackening the good name of the great religions that these extremists abuse for their own purposes.

Put simply, for too long we have been unwilling to distinguish right from wrong.

“Live and let live” has too often become “do what you please”.

Bad choices have too often been defended as just different lifestyles.

To be confident in saying something is wrong is not a sign of weakness, it’s a strength.

But we can’t fight something with nothing. 

As I’ve said if we don’t stand for something, we can’t stand against anything. 

One of the biggest lessons of the riots last Summer is that we’ve got stand up for our values if we are to confront the slow-motion moral collapse that has taken place in parts of our country these past few generations.

The same is true of religious extremism.

As President Obama wrote in the Audacity of Hope: “in reaction to religious overreach we equate tolerance with secularism, and forfeit the moral language that would help infuse our politics with larger meaning.”

Frankly, we need a lot less of the passive tolerance of recent years and a much more active, muscular liberalism.

A passively tolerant society says to its citizens, as long as you obey the law we will just leave you alone.

It stands neutral between different values. 

But I believe a genuinely liberal country does much more; it believes in certain values and actively promotes them.

We need to stand up for these values.

To have the confidence to say to people – this is what defines us as a society and that to belong here is to believe in these things.

I believe the church – and indeed all our religious leaders and their communities in Britain – have a vital role to play in helping to achieve this.

I have never really understood the argument some people make about the church not getting involved in politics.

To me, Christianity, faith, religion, the Church and the Bible are all inherently involved in politics because so many political questions are moral questions.

So I don’t think we should be shy or frightened of this.

I certainly don’t object to the Archbishop of Canterbury expressing his views on politics.

Religion has a moral basis and if he doesn’t agree with something he’s right to say so.

But just as it is legitimate for religious leaders to make political comments, he shouldn’t be surprised when I respond.

Also it’s legitimate for political leaders to say something about religious institutions as they see them affecting our society, not least in the vital areas of equality and tolerance.

I believe the Church of England has a unique opportunity to help shape the future of our communities.

But to do so it must keep on the agenda that speaks to the whole country.

The future of our country is at a pivotal moment. 

The values we draw from the Bible go to the heart of what it means to belong in this country and you, as the Church of England, can help ensure that it stays that way. 

Some responses to the Prime Minster's speech (tehre are loads more - you'll be able to find them yourself without too much trouble, faithful reader):

• Matthew Harris (Vice-Chairman of the Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel)
• Christian Post
• Christian Today
• The Daily Organ
• echurchwebsites
• eurasia review
• The Guardian

FAITH AND REFLECTION ROOM AT RNIB COLLEGE LOUGHBOROUGH

 

I've  accepted an invitation by the RNIB College Loughborough to take part in the official opening of their new Faith and Reflection Room today, during the College's Winter Festival.

The RNIB College Loughborough is a national specialist college, supporting people aged 16 and upwards who are blind, partially sighted and/or have other disabilities, through day and residential places.

I'm met at reception by Norma Curtis, Quality Improvement Manager (with responsibility for Equalities and Staff Development - in the pink top in the photo above), who shows me a space among the tables offering tombola, raffles, crafts and games where I can display our pop-up banner and leaflets (as well as literature from the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership – REDP).

Once I’ve got that set up, Norma takes me to the Faith and Reflection Room ahead of its official opening, so she can show me what’s there and tell me how it has been developed. The room has been designed by learners for everyone's use: fellow learners, staff and visitors. It's reserved for use by Muslims exclusively every week day, 1310-1330.

Given its particular setting, those designing the room have addressed needs and sensitivities that are not often considered: high colour contrast between objects; soft furnishings; appealing to different sensory experiences than might be found in other such rooms (a fragrance diffuser, a basket of stones of varying textures, a speaking clock); use of braille and large type.

There’s a small chest of drawers with space for resources for Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Humanism, Judaism, Sikhism (and for Islam, stored in a separate box, as one of the Muslim learners has particular access difficulties). Some of these are less full than the others; hopefully, we can encourage the relevant communities to donate some appropriate material.

Copies of the 2011 Directory of Places of Prayer, Meditation and Worship in Loughborough in large print and in braille are mounted on the wall (and copies to take away).as well as the "Find a Church" directory.

Improving quotations have been printed out and mounted on the wall, amongst which are the following:

"He who sows courtesy reaps friendships, and he who plants kindness sows love." (St Basil) 

"It is easy to do what is harmful to ourselves. What is helpful and good is hard to do." (from the Dhammapada) 

"Life is a progress and not a station" (Ralph Waldo Emerson) "Wonder is the beginning of wisdom." (Socrates)

Leicester Council of Faiths doesn't have any specially adapted material for people with sight loss, but we have tried to bear in mind best practice in terms of layout, typography etc for print and display materials to promote better accessibility (thanks for this advice and guidance to Eric Day, Access Officer at Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living). We’ve tried to do the same for our online presence (e.g. website, blog).

We gather for the official opening shortly after 1100. Following a brief introduction by Tony Warren, Principal of the College (centre, in the photo above), a blessing is delivered by Father Joe Mullan, Roman Catholic Chaplain at Loughborough University (left of Mr Warren in the photo above). Next, I’m asked to say a few words about the multi-faith nature of the room and its resources.

Among the small party a the official opening of the Faith and Reflection Room is Lesley Ansari (far right in the photo) whom I know from Human Rights and Equalities Charnwood and as being involved with Loughborough Council of Faiths. What I didn’t know until today is that she’s also a member of the College's Board of Governors

Above and beyond the particular Protected Characteristic of Religion or Belief represented by opening of the Faith and Reflection Room, it's gratifying to see how the College is dedicated to equality and diversity in their fullest forms.

A statement of the college's Code of Practice on Equality and Diversity is on public display, not only in the Faith and Reflection Room, but throughout the building. There are also names and photos of the college's Equality and Diversity Champions, one for each of the following Protected Characteristics:

• Age
• Disability
• Marriage / Civil Partnership
• Pregnancy / Maternity
• Race
• Religion, Belief & Non-Belief [sic]
• Sexual orientation
• Transgender / Gender Identity / Sex

I speak with Norma about REDP and the possibility of the college’s involvement in our activities. We agree that I should come back out to discuss this specifically, early in the New Year.

After the official opening of the Faith and Reflection Room, we're all ushered into the Arts Centre for a performance by learners of their Christmas show, "The Thief of Christmas". This is tremendous fun to watch (and to perform, by the looks of it). Parts of it are presented as a pre-recorded video, which can be seen on the college's YouTube channel (and I bought a copy of it on DVD as well).

From a personal perspective, I’m interested in visiting the college and learning something about its work. I have several issues related to my sight: diabetes (though thankfully, no sign of retinopathy from my regular scans) narrow-angle glaucoma (treated with a combination of drops each morning and evening – though I had unsuccessful laser surgery to try and correct it a few years ago); I also had a cataract removed and replace earlier this year. So although I’ve had no personal contact or involvement with the RNIB College before this event, I find it reassuring that it’s there and doing what it does for those who need it most.

The College mentions the Faith and Reflection Room on its website.