Blair- ‘Cometh The Hour’ Vs Militant Secularism

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Comment at end

8th April, 2008

THE RELIGIOUS POLITICIAN REACHES OUT

Tony Blair: “IS FAITH IMPORTANT TO YOUR POLITICS?”-“IT IS THE FOCAL POINT OF BELIEF IN YOUR LIFE”-“THERE IS NO CONCEIVABLE WAY THAT IT WOULDN’T AFFECT YOUR POLITICS”-“IT IS A PURPOSE UNIQUELY CENTRED AROUND KNEELING BEFORE GOD.”

Tony Blair’s first major speech since his departure nine months ago was remarkable in several ways. One, it was both political and religious, so melding seamlessly his two great passions. Two, if ever there was a time for a world leader to take on the task of bringing together world religions, that time is now. And three, it speaks volumes for his own faith in faith, that Blair should feel comfortable taking on this challenge. Many others, even if they shared his willingness to embrace ALL religions, would run miles to avoid leading that charge.

For have no doubt, this could be a huge challenge.

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See here for full video of Blair on “Faith & Globalisation”, 3rd April, 2008, at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster website, the Cardinal’s Lectures

Click here to visit Tony Blair’s website – for all news, speeches, videos

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THE ENEMY IS NOT ISLAM – BUT MILITANT SECULARISM

It was also clear that the message was directed to a far wider audience than domestic, largely secular Britain. He was speaking over the heads of many in British “militant secularism”, given that liberal Britain has its own head firmly stuffed within its nether regions. At no time did Tony Blair criticise any religion per se. Religion was today’s Good Guy, “militant” secularism the Baddie.

John 4:23 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”

This was Tony Blair’s first major speech since stepping down as Prime Minister. Watch this short clip below, (3:48), from his 35 minute speech (watch full speech here), and read full transcript here.

TIME FOR GOOD SECULARISTS TO STAND UP AND BE COUNTED?

As the first speaker on Faith at the Westminster Faith Lectures he laid down a clear marker for future debates, thus distancing even further many who’d prefer religion and his name never to be mentioned again, either together or separately. At no time since his 2007 Feral Beast speech on the press, has he thrown down the gauntlet with such force to liberal Britain and indeed the west.

Almost immediately the knee jerkers … Militant Secularists … of The Guardian Comment Is Free pages, wondered why he hadn’t yet been “pinned against a wall and shot” or “taken out”. This language is the staple regurgitated spew of those peace and lovers who fear they are losing the argument; ‘kill the messenger’ is their repetitive refrain.

[Interesting Aside: The Cif moderators must be all grown up now. I’ve just checked, and they have removed/edited the two comments asking for the permanent removal of Mr Blair. WOW! Self censorship by The Guardian. Whatever next? Soon, they’ll be thinking before they write.]

Tony Blair’s motives in this speech, as often before, are questioned by some. Is it a search for the Holy Grail of Trust, once the Blair hallmark, recently lost? Is it a marker for future catholic votes for the EU presidency, in the hope that this hands-across-the-divide approach will over-ride discontent over Iraq? The “is its …?” could and probably will mutiply.

GENTLIFYING BRITAIN?

Tony Blair recognises that secularism sans militancy is not a place inhabited by the uncaring, uncharitable hordes. He wants to hear more of their voices and less from the anti-religious fundamentalists. It could be described as a call for the GentLification of Britain.

There are many holes that can be picked in his arguments. For instance, if the majority of Britons do not believe in a Deity why should they concern themselves with a coming together of Faiths? And if they, unlike Blair, would prefer to live in a world not guided by an unseen and to them non-existent omnipotence, what does it concern them that a man of faith wants to pull Faiths together and not split them further asunder?

The answer is because it matters to many more in this world, religious or not, than it is irrelevant. As Matthew Parris reminds us, some, under a “religious” banner, are perpetrating acts of murder on innocents.

Matthew Parris says, “The problem for Mr Blair’s analysis is this: where faiths are reviving, they are tending towards fundamentalism and intolerance.”

Yes? So, having identified the problem, Mr Parris, what’s your answer?

Answer came there humanism/secularism. And neither cares enough about religion to try to mend its broken links.

If some truly believe that the common goodness of all major religions should predominate and not its force for hatred and division, perhaps the time is right for Blair’s New Faith Party.

Capitulation is one weakness of which we cannot accuse Blair.

A point by point summary of the Blair Speech on Faith & Globalisation:

Globalisation is breaking down boundaries.

Religious faith can play a positive or a negative role. Inter-faith action and encounter are vital.

This message is directed to people who have religious faith and those who have none.

Religious faith is a good thing and has a major part to play in shaping our guiding values.

Faith has to be rescued from the extremist and exclusionary tendency within religion today.

Faith and Reason, Faith and Progress, are in alliance not contention.

In British culture, and in many other parts of Europe, politicians don’t “do God”.

Religion has never gone away. It is a power for good and for evil; igored at our peril.

Defiance of 20th century evils, and the good in earlier centuries, was often led by people of faith.

Religion can present two other faces to the world: extremism and in the exclusion of those of other religions and of none.

Religious belief and scientific endeavour can and should co-exist. Science and faith, reason and faith should never be seen as opposites but as bedfellows.

Those of no faith should accept that all of this matters to them becasue faith is not in decline, but is thriving. Religious faith development will have a profound impact in a world which is opening up.

Globalisation is throwing people, cultures, countries together, with no common sense of values.

A powerful inter-faith encounter is essential, precisely because such an encounter symbolises and enacts a world of co-existence not exclusion. Faiths can transform and humanise the impersonal forces of globalisation, and shape the values of the changing set of economic and power relationships of the early 21st C.

Blair’s Faith and Globalisation course at Yale will examine this.

Centre of gravity, economically and politically, is shifting East, fast.

For the first time in centuries the West will have to come to terms with the seismic change happening about it. The East is rising. At the least it will demand parity with the West. And perhaps more.

Values? A strong spiritual dimension. He believes that religious faith offers something more than humanism. And since religious faith has such a strong historical and cultural influence on both East and West, it can help unify around common values what otherwise might be a battle for domination.

Blair’s Faith Foundation: ‘I am not a religious leader. Actually today I am no longer a political leader … I make no claims to moral superiority. Quite the opposite.’ But he is passionate about the importance of faith to our modern world and about the need for people of faith to reach out to one another.

The foundation will concentrate on certain key specifics; Millennium Development Goals, to produce high quality material – books, websites, every means of communication – to educate people better about the different faiths; partner those within any of the faiths who stand up for peaceful co-existence and reject the extremist and divisive notion that faiths are in fundamental struggle against each other. And to promote the idea of faith itself as something dynamic, modern and full of present relevance.

Stark dogma and empty ritualism gives militant secularism an easy target.

He said,”Reading the Dawkins book – The God Delusion – I am struck by how much the militant secularist and the religious extremist need each other.”

“Faith is rooted in a belief that the impulse to do good or try to, is in being aware of something bigger, more central, more essential to our human condition than self. In this, the ‘other’ is not to be rejected still less excluded, but embraced as more important than you or me. In organised religionis a collective demonstration of faith. In this way, Faith guides our lives, knowing our weakness and granting us strength.

Faith corrects, in a necessary and vital way, the tendency humankind has to relativism. It says there are absolutes – like the inalienable worth and dignity of every human being – that can never be sacrificed. It gives true moral fibre. We err, we do wrong, we sin but at least we know it and we feel the compunction to do better and the need to seek God’s forgiveness.

Faith moves with time, with reason, with knowledge, informed by scientific and technological discovery not in antithesis to it, as well as directing those discoveries toward humane ends.

Faith is not something separate from our reason, still less from society around us, but integral to it, giving the use of reason a purpose and society a soul, and human beings a sense of the divine.

This is the life purpose that cannot be found in constitutions, speeches, stirring art or rhetoric. It is a purpose uniquely centred around kneeling before God.

For those of us of faith, this is what it means. And whilst we should not foist our belief on others, we should not be ashamed either to assert it or be proud of it. For us, faith is not an historical relic but a guide for humanity on its path to the future. A faithless world is not one in which we want ourselves and our children to live.

If people of different faiths can co-exist happily, in mutual respect and solidarity, so can our world. And if faith takes its proper place in our lives, then we can live with a purpose beyond ourselves alone, supporting humanity on its journey to fulfilment.”

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Thoughts by other bloggers:

‘But I am a little concerned by this:

I believe, in this era of rapid globalisation, where power is shifting away from its traditional centre in the west, the world will be immeasurably poorer, more dangerous, more fragile and above all, more aimless – I mean without the necessary sense of purpose to help guide its journey – if it is without a strong spiritual dimension. Today, precisely because all the fixed points of reference seem unfixed and constantly in flux; today is more than ever, when we need to discover and re-discover our essential humility before god, our dignity as found in our lives being placed at the service of the source and goal of everything.

No wonder, if this is what the former prime minister thinks, that Alistair Campbell used to tell journalists that Number 10 didn’t “do” god. This is dangerously close to saying that those who lack religious beliefs – or have different ones to the former PM – are somehow morally deficient.

I do not believe, and I doubt the majority of voters want to hear, that a world lacking in spirituality is thereby “aimless”. Spirituality is not the same thing as morality. Neither do I agree that the solution to the supposed “flux” we find ourselves in is necessarily Mr Blair’s god, his “source and goal of everything”. I agree the world needs to find and re-enforce common moral values – those concerning the dignity and value of human life, basic rights, and so forth. Whether those are rooted in religion or humanism is of no real consequence – and suggesting they can only come from one particular notion of “god” is more likely to drive people apart than bring them together.’

Tomorrow’s World – A biblical perspective, on the universe, creation and science. On this American Christian site on Bible Prophesy and “armaggedon” of the Book of Revelations, there is a sample video of the Tomorrow’s World series. This edition discusses science and how or if it can answer the questions of life. Also mentioned is the military strategy of politics in space, and the fact that somewhere in the world there is almost always war.

Quote: “In the last 3,421years of recorded history, only 268 have seen no war.” (from “The Lessons of History”, Will & Ariel Durant, page 81.)

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OTHER VIDEO CLIPS FROM THE WESTMINSTER SPEECH

WHY DOES FAITH MATTER? RESCUING FAITH FROM EXTREMISM & IRRELEVANCE (7:59)

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WHY DOES FAITH PERSIST (9:18)

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TONY BLAIR ON FAITH & GLOBALISATION (4:33)

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VIDEO ON HIS NEW FAITH FOUNDATION (3:51)

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Tags: 1. Tony Blair, Faith & Globalisation Speech, Faith Foundation, westminster, Westminster Cathedral