An Inclusive Society or an Exclusive Club?
An Open Letter to Newham’s Churches from Newham CSM Elected Representatives
As Christians in politics, from across the range of Christian traditions we wish to state unequivocally our belief and commitment to a multi ethnic and multi faith community. We are proud to be members of a party that locally includes Buddhists, Sikhs, Hindus, Jews and Muslims as well as Christians amongst its members and its elected representatives.
You may have recently been invited to become involved with a party that seeks to ‘represent the interests of Christians right across the Borough of Newham’. This implies that there is a single view that is held by Christians as to what those ‘interests’ are. Even Christians can differ in their opinions, their priorities and their goals. There is no single ‘Christian’ viewpoint on political matters and this is shown by the presence of Christians in all the major parties. The implication that one party can represent the interests of all Christians in the borough, however false, is also worrying in its implications. If Christians are supposed to rally behind the banner of a religious political party, then we must expect people of other faiths or ethnicities to do the same. That way builds ghettos, we would rather build bridges between communities.
We would invite you to support and join a party that has its roots in all sections of our community, one which is fallible, but one which consistently seeks to represent the aspirations and desires of all of our people.
Yours sincerely
Stephen Timms MP, Lyn Brown MP, Claude Moraes MEP
And Councillors
Marie Collier , Clive Furness , Maureen Jones, Alec Kellaway, Jonathon Knott , Joy Laguda, Tony McAlmont , Rev Quintin Peppiatt, Paul Sathianesan , Paul Schafer ,Pearson Shillingford
Ted Sparrowhawk, Regina Williams , Neil Wilson