BHA: Church of England asks Government to fund interfaith work

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has questioned the Church of England’s proposal to request £5 million from the Department for Communities and Local Government to fund their ‘interfaith’ work. The BHA have further expressed disagreement with the view that the previous Government aimed ‘to contain, and mediate between, religious groups whose place in the public sphere was not generally conceded.’

In a report on the Church’s role within the Big Society, the Church of England states that ‘all faiths were regarded as sub-rational’ by the previous government and called for state funding for Near Neighbours, a proposed new Church of England interfaith initiative. The report states that ‘good relationships between people of different faiths cannot be brokered from a position of assumed neutrality – one must be “religiously literate” and this literacy stems from commitment.’

BHA Campaigns Officer Pepper Harow commented, ‘The previous Government did not marginalise religion: it massively privileged religious groups in funding and in the provision it made for them to run state-funded schools and other services.

‘The Church of England’s attempt to get state money for its “interfaith” work may be motivated in part by a concern for social cohesion but it will lead to an unacceptable consolidation of the Church’s privileged position in this field. In any case, interfaith initiatives have a history of excluding the non-religious, and the outline of the ‘Near Neighbours’ project demonstrates that this will be no exception.

‘At a time when budget cuts are hitting the voluntary sector, funding such an exclusive and narrow project would be a huge mistake. The government’s Big Society agenda should allow all people to work on social problems regardless of their religious or non-religious beliefs, not privilege religious groups over those who do not identify with a religion. Otherwise we may face an exacerbation of inequality, bad feeling and social disunity at local level.’

Notes

The Church of England’s “The Big Society” and the Church of England report, and their Near Neighbours by faithful interaction draft project proposal, can be read here.

For more information or comment, please contact Pepper Harow on 020 7462 4992

The BHA is the national charity representing the interests of the large and growing population of ethically concerned non-religious people living in the UK. It exists to support and represent people who seek to live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs and to promote Humanism. Founded in 1896, we have 20,000 members and supporters, 90 affiliated local groups and a network of around 300 trained celebrants conduct funerals and other non-religious ceremonies attended by around 300,000 people each year.