Faithworks Founder Claims Faith & Politics A Good Mix

Faithworks, a Christian social action movement founded by the Rev Steve Chalke which previously hosted public lectures with Tony Blair, Michael Howard and Charles Kenney in the run-up to the General Election, has claimed that faith and politics are a “good mix for the health of Britain.”
|PIC1|
On 27 September, Rev Chalke commented saying: “Faith and politics is a good mix for the health of Britain. Christians get involved in politics not because they want power, but because they want to serve.

"They are motivated by their faith to work for the common good. Britain would be a lot worse off without the values, commitment and involvement of people of faith in the political arena - both locally and nationally.”

The comments came just a day before BBC 2 broadcasts the documentary, ‘God and the politicians’, which is scheduled to air today.

The documentary will feature Rev Chalke and will examine fears that religion has increasingly encroached on the political agenda. These fears have come about after faith schools and the role that faith groups are playing in the provision of public services have continued to be highlighted over the past year.

In the upcoming Labour Party conference this week, one of the issues that will be debated is what influence religion should have on party politics. Chalke will address a Christian Socialist Movement fringe event on this issue today.

Chalke’s comments are supported by the findings of a ICM-conducted poll published by the BBC in July 2005. The poll revealed that 65% of those who responded agreed with the statement that “UK laws should be respect and influenced by the values of the main religions in the UK”.|TOP|

Regarding the relationship between religion and politics, Rev Chalke believes that Britain is in a much better position than the US, despite fears of some commentators and secular groups.

“We make a mistake if we confuse what’s happening here with what’s going on in America,” Chalke says. “The situation in the UK is not one where religion is aligned with either the left or the right.

"It is not about any particular denomination being ‘in the pocket’ of any one political party. There should always be a healthy tension in the relationship between Church and State. I think that here in Britain we have an approach that works – one that recognises the benefits that personal faith brings to political decision-making.”

Faithworks originally was established as a campaign calling on the Government to recognise the contribution that churches and Christian projects make to their communities, but has grown into a powerful movement with an aim to empower and inspire Christians and churches to develop a more influential position within their communities. By engaging both the media and the government, Faithwork aims to challenge and change the public view of the Church.