Sixty years has passed since Gandhi said “those who say religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion is”, but many of those most interested in politics still do not know. Certainly, much has moved on since Alistair Campbell uttered that immortal phrase “We don’t do God”, but politicians still, in the main, don’t do God very well.
The three main parties all have patchy track records in dealing with “religious groups”. Of course, part of the reason for this is the vocabulary. One way in which all governments misunderstand is in treating all religious traditions as essentially the same thing. And the key theme here is of the social utility of religion: ask not what this country can do for you, but what you can do for the country. What matters is that religious people have ‘values’. Or, for the more sociologically minded, that they bear high levels of social capital.
The Jewish charity Mitzvah Day is the most recent example, taking the Prime Minister’s Big Society award in 2011. Tony Blair said of Jewish Care that it is "is not just Jewish values in action; it is actually the best of British values in action." It’s not quite fair to say that it’s the religious equivalent of having your photo taken with a baby, but it is the norm from which few will depart. It’s safe territory where politicians can speak warmly of a faith community without the risk of being associated with contentious views.
The ‘values’ or social utility of religious life is well and good, but it can become a way of papering over the cracks which often develop between government and faith groups. The state does not fit the liberal dream of a neutral referee keeping the field as free as possible for all participants. Over time, some views and values prevail. The social liberalism which reached it’s zenith in the last three Labour governments in many ways acted against the sense of community, solidarity and values that constitute religious traditions. Whatever one thinks of equalities legislation, there is no doubt that religious communities fear that it undermines the extent to which they can act in keeping with their ‘ethos’. It is an irony that after 14 years of government by Labour, a party whose history is deeply enmeshed with religious traditions, many religious people are no longer sure if they are permitted to ‘be themselves’ in public.
Ostensibly, the Liberal Democrats are the most openly secular party, though it must be remembered that this is at least is part due to the alliance between the old Liberal party and non-conformist Christian groups. This has of course changed over in nature over time, and there is a difference between, say, the desire to banish Bishops from the House of Lords because one religious tradition shouldn’t be privileged, and demanding their removal because religious voices are inherently illegitimate. 150 years ago the earlier formulation would have been more familiar. In the 21st, it’s clearly the latter.
Some would argue that the Conservative Party retains a more intuitive understanding of religious communities, because they see civil society more clearly. Leaders like the Chief Rabbi have offered qualified support for the Big Society, and emphasised that if you were looking for where it already exists you would have to go to the church, synagogue or mosque. But the Archbishop of Canterbury always refrained from giving the full three cheers for the idea. It’s too early to assume that the warm rhetoric of the Big Society will result in warm relationships.
The future of relationships between religious groups and government remains to be seen. The social utility of people of faith will continue to be key for policy makers. Occasionally, individuals might come along who have a deeper understanding, but they are rare. All the more reason for politicians to be presented with the facts around key issues like faith in schools, faith based welfare provision and religious freedom in a way that they can understand.
Beginning next week, politicians, civil servants, NGOs and media will gather in Whitehall for the Westminster Faith Debates. This series will present the best interdisciplinary research that’s been done over the last four years as part of the £12 million AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society programme. The AHRC, the think tank Theos and Charles Clarke are putting on this series for one simple reason- because we know what a significant force religious people are in society, and we want to help our leaders ‘Do God’ better.
You can find out more and register for the debates here.
