Not just for Christmas? Bristol churches writing pre-2016 election 'manifesto'

By PATRICK DALY Parliamentary Correspondent @thepatrickdaly

CHRISTIANITY is not only for Christmas – it's for elections as well, according to Christians and a city politician.
Marvin Rees, Labour's mayoral candidate, has written to Bristol's churches asking them to consider writing a manifesto for 2016 describing what Christian organisations believe "a good Bristol looks like".

With mayoral elections in May, along with the election of all 70 councillors to Bristol City Council, Mr Rees says it is a key time for the church to announce its vision.
He is not the first politician to reach out to faith groups to encourage their role in society - it was a main theme of David Cameron's Big Society concept before the 2010 general election. Mr Rees, in his open letter to the churches of all Christian denominations, wrote: "Without a vision, the people perish. There is an opportunity for the church to describe the city we want to be.
"A clear description of the good society is an essential part of a functioning society but is lacking for Bristol. Rather, what we have at best is a piecemeal approach built around progress of individual issues but with no sense of the whole collective story."

Roger Allen of Churches Together is helping to facilitate the creation of the manifesto by bringing together those with strong social interests in the different churches.
He said the so-called manifesto, hoped to be released in early Spring, would inform some of the questions of the mayoral candidates at the pre-election hustings.

Mr Allen, of Windmill Hill, said the Christian community was involved in many volunteer projects - such as working with the homeless and refugees - but some changes relied on politicians.
"The faith community, in the broader sense, has been doing so much good work, week-in and week-out, across the city," he said.

"There are lots of things we could do and we would be looking to the mayor and the other candidates to say, 'It would be great to see these other aspects encouraged for the good of Bristol'."
Martin Hatter, from the Bristol Secular Society, said he would read any manifesto "respectfully" and said the society welcomed any further political engagement, as long as it didn't exclude others.

"Secularism is not anti-religion," said Mr Hatter. "If the church has a role to play then that is fine but what it mustn't do is be exclusive or do anything that marginalises others.
"We recognise that the churches do good things and provides voluntary services. The churches like to say they are inclusive of all faiths but their differences often get pushed to one-side. When you start imposing your views on other people, that is when it becomes a problem," he added.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BIG SOCIETY?

MPs have been criticising the Prime Minister recently for dropping his concept of the Big Society, saying Government cuts have killed the ability for charities and faith based groups to provide extra support.
But Roger Allen of Churches Together, and formerly a Christian Aid employee, said church groups would continue to be active in society no matter what 'label' they were given.

"To be honest, Christians and faith communities have this idea of volunteering and working in every aspect of social action. That was happening long before the Big Society was raised as an idea and we will continue long after it has finished, regardless of what label or ideas politicians come up with."


_{Source: www.bristolpost.co.uk/just-Christmas-Bristol-churches-writing-pre-2016/story-28391413-detail/story.html}