Friday, April 4, 2008 at 2:02am
Blair stresses key role of faith
Former British prime minister Tony Blair, in his first speech on faith since becoming a Catholic, called for faith to be given a central role in tackling the world's problems. He said faith should be rescued from extremism and be a force for progress. A noisy anti-war protest and silent vigil by Catholic peace group Pax Christi accompanied his speech, BBC News online reported Friday.
Blair told an audience of 1,600 at Westminster Cathedral, "If you are someone 'of faith' it is the focal point of belief in your life. There is no conceivable way that it wouldn't affect your politics." He said he had "no claims to moral superiority" and, referring to his former press secretary Alastair Campbell's famous remark while he was PM that "we don't do God," he said it was "always a packet of trouble to talk about it."
Blair said "Religious faith is a good thing in itself that so far from being a reactionary force - it is a major part to play in shaping values which guide the modern world and can and should be a force for progress. But it has to be rescued on the one hand from the extremist and exclusionist tendency within religion today."
Terry Sanderson, of the National Secular Society, said, "Mr. Blair's call for religion to play a bigger role in world affairs is like trying to douse a fire by showering it with petrol."
Blair told an audience of 1,600 at Westminster Cathedral, "If you are someone 'of faith' it is the focal point of belief in your life. There is no conceivable way that it wouldn't affect your politics." He said he had "no claims to moral superiority" and, referring to his former press secretary Alastair Campbell's famous remark while he was PM that "we don't do God," he said it was "always a packet of trouble to talk about it."
Blair said "Religious faith is a good thing in itself that so far from being a reactionary force - it is a major part to play in shaping values which guide the modern world and can and should be a force for progress. But it has to be rescued on the one hand from the extremist and exclusionist tendency within religion today."
Terry Sanderson, of the National Secular Society, said, "Mr. Blair's call for religion to play a bigger role in world affairs is like trying to douse a fire by showering it with petrol."