Christians must not be sidelined, says Communities Secretary
A senior Government official has said that Christians should not be sidelined for their faith and that Christianity has a valued and important role to play.
Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, said that the Government is keen to look at the church’s role in communities for inspiration, rather than always looking to the State for a solution. Giving his interview to the Sunday Express, Mr Pickles said:
“One of the things I want to do is to use the pastoral experience of the Church of England and the Catholic Church in getting out there into the community. Religious tolerance is immensely important. Religion has a valued and important role in binding our society together and is a vital part of the cultural fabric of the English and British nations.”
It is reported that there are 22,000 Christian charities in Britain providing more than 23 million hours of voluntary service.
Mr. Pickles also claimed that Labour had tried to force Britons to turn their back on faith and heritage in the name of political correctness.
The newspaper commented on the interview stating:
“Eric Pickles, the Communities Secretary, is to be commended for his pledge to ensure that decent moral values become part of the Government’s plan to repair broken Britain.”
CCFON welcomes these comments by Mr. Pickles and encourages Christians everywhere to respond by having renewed confidence in the message of hope that we bring to this nation.
