MP: Faith is compatible with Liberal politics

Justice Committee Chairman Sir Alan Beith MP spoke earlier in the month on Liberal politics and its compatibility with the Christian faith.

He challenged the audience to "remain passionate while manning the battlements of freedom" at the Inaugural Gladstone Lecture hosted by the Liberal Democrat Christian Forum at the National Liberal Club.

Beith spoke out against a society that "appears to require the suppression of religious expressions and opinions" instead advocating the need for men and women of faith in the political world and a liberal society.

"It is in no way a requirement of a liberal society that people should be expected to abandon or dilute their faith and convications, so long as they allow and respect the freedom of those who disagree with them. There is nothing liberal about tolerating only those people you agree with," he said.

He argued for Christian involvement in public affairs drawing strongly on biblical examples. This included the need to tackle Christians' political cynicism, increasing the prophetic witness of the church challenging government and society and Christians' integrity in the public square.

Beith concluded by emphasising that faith is an integral part of a liberal society:

"Liberal Democrats seek to create a liberal society in which great differences of opinion can be resolved... through... government... in an atmosphere of mutual respect," he said.

"Passion is required to create and defend such a society, and passion to do good based on religious belief is needed within such a society. The tolerance which is a hallmark of liberalism does not rest upon a visionless and lifeless political creed, but on a passion to serve humanity without enslaving it."