Marriage-based family support, fathering and mentoring schemes, and male-focused education, those activities are going on and they should be affirmed and encouraged. At the moment the Government, and the local government as well, they say they like what the faith communities are doing but they want them to sign up to their agenda and the Government's agenda. But that's all the wrong way round.
The Government and the local authorities should sign up to the agenda of the faith groups, the churches, and say yes, you are doing a good job, you are much more in touch with what's going on with the streets than we are, and lets put some money behind it - not to monitor and control but to affirm and encourage
CT: What comes to mind as you say that is the Sexual Orientation Regulations passed last week. Do you fear these kinds of faith-based projects and initiatives are going to be affected by the regulations?
AC: They are absolutely ludicrous. They are trying to put us all in their own secular box and stop people being and doing what they want to do and be. They are anti-social, undemocratic and socially harmful and outrageous. A minority agenda is being pushed down on Catholics and their adoption agencies right the way across the board.
Actually people just need to take no notice and say Government get back in your box, you've ran out of ideas, you don't have any ideas, you don't know what you are doing, and we will get on with what we are doing at the community level.
CT: How do you want the Government to work alongside faith groups then? How do you see this relationship going forward?
AC: I'm actually slightly revolutionary and my view is that they should just turn their backs on the Government and get on with it! We will provide our fathering classes and expand our local youth networks. Of course at the end of the day they will need money. But at the moment the Government is hopeless. By government I don't mean only Tony Blair's Government but just the general local authority. Certainly my own one here in Newham is just tied up to the agenda, and all it wants the faith and voluntary sector community to do is sign up to its agenda. That's upside down, the wrong way round.
CT: So the local authority is hindered from helping the people it should be helping because of party agenda?
AC: Absolutely, and all the rest of it. My word to the church and other faith groups is just get on and do it. Take no notice of the rest and just get on and do it. It is slightly revolutionary but I believe it and if the Government doesn't like it that is their problem. Actually there are kids out there whose lives are being destroyed by what's going on. And if you look at the kids instead of looking at the Government, if you actually have a heart for kids, you will actually get out there and do it for their sake and for the Gospel's sake and not because of what the Government wants you to do.
