Your Letters

More on World of Faith

Canon Bruce Saunders responds to last month's letters

I think I must have been at different 'World of Faith' event from the one described by Mr Roberts in his letter published in last month's edition of The Bridge.

Contrary to what he suggests, Christian faith was certainly represented, with readings from the New Testament deliberately given central place in front of the High Altar.

And far from attempting 'to present all religions as being equally valid and offering equal paths to God' Canon Michael Ipgrave specifically declared in his opening address 'I am not saying that all the religions are just saying the same thing in different words'.

In fact, Canon Ipgrave's interesting metaphor for religions being different languages for converse with and about God acknowledges 'that it may be that different religions are saying quite different things about God, the world and ourselves; it may even be that at some points they are saying quite contradictory things. Interfaith dialogue does not presume that we are all the same really.'

The published letters from Mr Roberts and Dr Humber express a particular view of Christian truth which was clearly articulated during the plenary session by Mr Roberts himself.

But this event was not chiefly about putting the case for Christ, so it is misleading to say 'the need for faith in Him was ignored'. It was about the scriptures of several faith traditions and was designed and advertised as an exercise in listening and learning for Christians. As both correspondents recognise, even people for whom Jesus Christ is at the very heart of their faith discover value in dialogue with other faith traditions, and often have their awareness of God's grace and mercy enlarged.

I'll be happy to send a copy of Canon Ipgrave's text to anyone who sends me a stamped envelope or an e-mail address.

Canon Bruce Saunders
Trinity House

...and the Rev. Paul Collier writes:

As a member of the Inter-Faith Group which organised the "World of Faith" event, may I add to the comments of Matthew Roberts by thanking him and all the participants for making Christ present at the Cathedral on 11 March.

If not called on by name, our Lord was most powerfully present in the welcome, interest, courtesy, respect and love shown to the representatives of other faiths by the Christian participants.

On a personal note, as a participant with Christian-tinted spectacles I was struck by the fact that the eternal truth of the ultimate victory of sacrificial love over evil (for Christians uniquely proved and manifested by God in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ), was expressed as a truth in all the faiths represented. This has been for me the most powerful sign of hope for our world in the new millennium.

Rev. Paul Collier,
St. Hugh's, Charterhouse.

Racism Report

David Haslam responds

As one of the panel who produced the report on "Institutional Racism in the Diocese of Southwark", I would like to respond to two of the letters in your April edition.

Tom Sutcliffe writes that he knows "what it is to be in a minority, overlooked and outvoted". If that is true, I would have thought he would have had more sympathy with our report. He does his cause no good when he considerably exaggerates one of the suggestions the report makes. He refers to the "centralised vetting of minority Anglicans to establish their 'eligibility' as candidates for advancement by electoral or other means".

That is quite foreign to the spirit of the report. I think what Mr Sutcliffe must be referring to is the idea that a register of potential candidates be developed as a response to the continual argument that "we don't know anyone from the minority communities who is suitable for this position". That remark can refer to every position from candidates for a PCC to a bishop. I have found in the church structures where I have been involved at local and national level that there are many Christians from minority communities who have the experience and talents to fulfil positions, but no-one ever asks them. They become invisible when there are posts to be taken up.

On the same Letters page Peter Challen argues that "To advance beyond racism, we must advance beyond race". In one sense I believe this to be true, we should "advance beyond race". Unfortunately there is this ideology around which believes in distinct races, and in the superiority of some over others.

One can only really describe this, and its pernicious effects, as "racism".

Peter goes on to say that "Generous inclusiveness" should mark the dialogue not "adversarial political correctness". I do not believe that the latter is what our report is engaged in. "Political correctness" is a term emerging from the Right in the United States to seek to ridicule discussion about genuine discrimination in society, whether by gender, ethnicity or disability.

Peter appears to suggest you can get through challenging institutional racism without pain. That is not possible, though he is quite right to state that what we need is a "theologically sensitive, tender and crucial exchange". That is what we hope our report will encourage.

Rev. David Haslam

Violence and the Church's response

As we see, alas, Africa is full of violent conflict, with nation against nation, tribe against tribe.

Only Nigeria and South Africa, in the whole of that great continent, enjoy the peace and freedom of constitutional government.

What is at fault? Surely the belief that political power may legitimately be gained by violence. The same way of violence - the direct opposite of our Lord's command to love our enemies - has been the curse of the world for centuries. We know now, surely, that there is another way of overcoming evil and injustice - the way of non-violence. Martin Luther King was an outstanding exponent of this method. Shouldn't the Church take up this way and be an example to the world? One cannot deny that it is a way more consistent with the love that Jesus taught us.

John Deleto, London SE23

Memories of Wimbledon

I was interested in your item about St Mark's, Wimbledon in the May issue.

I lived in Wimbledon in the 1950s and some time in that decade students at Wimbledon Art School were asked to paint the walls of the church and carve the capitals. My husband spent many evenings (he was teaching too) carving one of the pillars and the available wall space was covered with striking paintings (by students). I don't know how well it was received by most parishioners but I thought it transformed the church into a vibrant and exciting building.

I moved away in 1961 and was very sad to hear of the devastating fire in 1966. I wonder if the art work is remembered by older members of the parish.

Ruth M Lacey, Reigate