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‘FAITH
MATTERS,’ SAYS BLAIR |
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London, 9 September
2009: Former Prime Minister Tony Blair last
night warned the world not to overlook the importance of
faith.
“Faith matters. It matters, in fact, whether you are
religious or not, or even anti-religious,” he said.
“To ignore the role of faith is to be blind to a
dimension of the world that plays a part in the thinking
and attitudes of billions of people.”
Mr Blair appealed to people of faith to go beyond mere
tolerance to regard each other as “equal” and warned
against the “dark side” of strong beliefs.
“People who hold deep convictions about life and its
purpose necessarily can be prone to holding those views
to excess or the point of prejudice. That danger is
inherent in faith,” he said.
Mr Blair was speaking in an address to faith leaders and
development agency workers at the launch of a series of
seminars aimed at exploring the role of faith in
development work.
“There is a need for an informed, public debate about
how an understanding of development efforts can be
better informed about the role of faiths,” he said.
“Each session in this seminar series is designed to be
an open, honest, and if necessary, critical discussion
about the role that faith can play across all aspects of
development.”
The seminars have been put together by the Tony Blair
Faith Foundation in partnership with DFID, Islamic
Relief, Oxfam and World Vision, and will be hosted by
the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts,
Manufactures and Commerce.
“This is an incredibly important time to be having this
discussion,” said Patrick Watt, World Vision’s Head of
Public Affairs and Campaigns.
“Faith – and the questions that surround it – shapes
people’s attitudes, behaviours, and world views. It
influences where people interact and what that looks
like.
“Understanding this is vital when addressing the causes
and effects of extreme poverty.”
Mr Blair endorsed a report published on Monday by the
Woolf Institute of Abrahamic Faiths that considers how
faith-based organisations can work more effectively
across the religious divide.
‘Keeping Faith in Development’ says that faith-based
organisations are set apart from their secular
counterparts because of the support they enjoy from
religious leaders.
It adds, however, that they face the challenge of
appearing to represent one faith group and the “baggage
of historical memory” that can lead to suspicion towards
a particular faith organisation.
Mr Blair said: “The report shows that faith
organisations have a unique reach because they
represent, and are respected by, their faith community,
giving extra credibility with local religious
communities on the ground which can facilitate their
work.”
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This page
is updated on Sep 18, 2009 |
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PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY
10 YEARS CELEBRATION
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