Religion and Difference in Public Life: Advent Calendar Day 10
This is my initial response to the Report of the Commission on Religion and Belief in British Public Life . There’s been a lot of fuss about it (though if it really is the worst report that Ruth Gledhill has ever read , it suggests she hasn’t been paying attention to the General Synod very well). Let’s start with the positives: 1. It is good that this is being talked about seriously on the public stage. Religion is going to be an important part of the life of the whole world, including Britain, in the coming decades. 2. The emphasis on religious literacy is hugely important and welcome. We need to be able to distinguish between different traditions within religions. Put very simply, the current situation in the Middle East is incomprehensible if you only have one category for Muslim. 3. Placing religion and belief at the heart of a national conver...