Chief Rabbi joins head of Evangelical Alliance at 7th Temple Address

Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks took to the stage last night with the head of the Evangelical Alliance Joel Edwards to address evangelicals on the importance of tolerance.

Among the guests at the event were MPs, business leaders and faith leaders from the Muslim and Sikh community.

During his keynote speech the Chief Rabbi spoke on tolerance and the important role that faith can play in promoting tolerance.

He shared his childhood experience of going to a Church of England faith school where he recounted that he never experienced any anti-Semitism because of the importance of the faith held by the school. He said that he doubted he would have had the same experience in a secular school.

Sacks also shared his belief that the UK has become a less tolerant nation in the last 20 years. Speaking to Christian Today he said, "In a strange way with all the best intentions we have lost some of the tolerance that Britain used to have and we need to recover it."

He attributed this to a loss of shared values, "It's a loss of shared values, shared values bring people together. Today we are almost forced to say there are no shared values, just whatever you feel like. I think we have lost some of the traditions of civility or just plain politeness. I think we've just become a little ruder and angrier and that's not good."

In his address he spoke briefly on the history of the idea of tolerance itself, Jonathan Sacks pointed out that the very idea of tolerance originated from faith, with the writings of people such as John Locke in the 17th century.

He said "Tolerance has and must have a religious foundation."

The Director of the UK Evangelical Alliance, Joel Edwards spoke after the Chief Rabbi's speech.

In his address Edwards spoke in response to comments made last week by the National Secular Society after his appointment to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, who said that he "made a career out of opposing equality for homosexuals."

Edwards said, "These groups have perceived that I am so intolerant that they will not tolerate my place on a body negotiating the choppy waters of 21st century tolerance."

He continued saying, "These comments go right to the heart of the debate...where does religious conviction fit into society's balance of rights, responsibilities, diversity, equality and multiculturalism? The secularist would of course answer "it doesn't", but this would be to betray history."