Why is Interfaith Important?
Following the creation of a Parliament and Assembly in Scotland and Wales, devolved Assemblies for the English regions have been established. At present these assemblies are made up of co-opted members though it is envisaged that eventually members will be directly elected. Although the regional assemblies have no political power they do have influence within government and often lots of tax payers’ money to spend. At present representatives are drawn mainly from local authorities (City, Borough and County Councils), but there are also representatives from schools, colleges, and universities, the emergency services, business, trade unions and faith groups. In nearly every case faith groups means the Christians, but often these faith representatives take advice from the wider religious community. Some regional assemblies have faith group committees or councils that work directly with the assembly’s faith representative: in the East Midlands there is a specific interfaith representative on the assembly as well as the Christian faith rep.
It’s not only regional assemblies that have contact with faith groups though; at all levels of government faith groups have an opportunity to lobby the policy and law makers. National government will often consult with organizations such as the Interfaith Network of the United Kingdom and local authorities will consult local interfaith groups. Interfaith groups have influenced a wide spectrum of local and national government policies, from what gets taught in our children’s schools to priorities for public spending.
As Druids/Pagans we are all too often excluded from the interfaith community and therefore from the influence which that community has over the political system. As a faith group we have no influence at all over political decisions that affect our spiritual lives and the way in which we practice our religion. This is in part due to discrimination, but it is also in part due to our own apathy or mistrust of others.
Few Druids/Pagans are interested in, let alone actively involved in, interfaith dialogue. A small number of Pagans are openly hostile to any form of interfaith discussion, seeing it as a Christian ploy to gain converts, whilst others see interfaith dialogue as an essential step towards a greater degree of acceptance within the wider community. Most Druids/Pagans however are happy just to get on with practicing their own faith and give little thought to the religious practices of others.
Those Druids/Pagans who do get involved in interfaith inevitably encounter hostility from some quarters but also meet, and make friends with, some remarkable and inspiring people. Interfaith is about working together with people of different faiths to find ways in which we can all live our spiritual lives openly and with integrity whilst allow others to do the same.
Getting Involved
Interfaith groups are many and varied. Some groups meet to discuss and share their beliefs and practices. These groups explore spirit in its many forms and manifestations and can be absolutely fascinating. Listening to what others believe and trying to understand why it’s important to them can act as a focus for clarifying our own beliefs. You can learn as much about your own religion from listening to others as you can about their religions. Discussing ideas of deity, afterlife, the nature of spirit, religious morality etc. with people from other traditions can only enrich our own experience. Groups like these exist to facilitate spiritual understanding and are often not interested in a political or civic role. They are often called “Interfaith Discussion Groups”. Membership may be via religious affiliation but often such groups are open to interested individuals irrespective of their faith background. These groups will have a very simple constitution if they have one at all, and are usually very relaxed and informal and often keen to hear more about Druid/Pagan believes.
The more formal end of the Interfaith world is made up of organisations which often title themselves as “Faith Councils”. These bodies are more concerned with the civic side of Interfaith. Local authority representatives may regularly attend their meetings where local and national political issues may be discussed. These groups may be integrated into the political fabric of the local community and their representative can often be seen in the local paper shaking hands with the chief constable or visiting members of the royal family. You’ll find groups such as these mainly in big cities where there are large populations of non- whites. They are a forum for “Community leaders” to communicate with politicians and public service providers and fulfill a similar role to Racial Community Councils in ensuring that the religious sensibilities of the member groups are respected. These are the groups which have the political power and often local authority funding. They are also often the groups which support the regional assembly faith representatives.
The big three players on most Faith Councils will be the Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Other religions represented on these groups may include the Sikhs, Baha’is, Buddhists, Jains, Jews, Zoroastrians and occasionally even Pagans. Derby University produce a directory of religions in Britain which gives information on all these groups, their beliefs, customs, history etc. Formal Interfaith organisations such as these will have a proper constitution with minutes and agendas, and members will be there as representatives of their religions to discuss matters of mutual concern. These groups are often affiliated to the Interfaith network of the United Kingdom (IFNUK) and umbrella organisation made up of National faith community bodies such as the Council of Hindu temples and the Muslim Council of Britain, as well as local interfaith groups. Membership of formal interfaith groups such as these is not automatic - they jealously guard their standing in the community and are often afraid to jeopardize it by being seen to associate with what they see as fringe religions or cults. Only a few of these organisations at present have Druid/Pagans as members and it has been made clear by the IFNUK that they will not accept Pagan groups as associate members.
There are of course interfaith groups which fit somewhere in the middle of the two models outlined above - groups which may have a voice within the community and are affiliated to the IFNUK but are less formal and more welcoming to Druids/Pagans. In some areas both the formal and not so formal groups exist side by side, often involving many of the same people. Interfaith groups vary widely from place to place both in their format and their membership. The more informal groups can present an opportunity to make contacts and build trust with members of other religious groups. The more that we as Druids/Pagans do to involve ourselves in interfaith dialogue where we can, the more likely it is that we will eventually gain wider acceptance within the interfaith community as a whole.
If you want to get involved in interfaith dialogue on behalf of the Druid Network, the first thing to do is to find out if there is an established interfaith group in your area. Your local library or information centre may be able to help you, or you can ask the Interfaith Network of the United Kingdom for a list of affiliated groups in your area (ifnet [at] interfaith [dot] org [dot] uk). When approaching your local interfaith group, it is probably best if you explain your interest and ask if you can come along as an observer to start with. This will give you an opportunity to get to know some of the people involved, and also to see if you like the group. If there’s not already an interfaith group in your area you could try starting one by sending a letter to all the local faith groups and seeing if anyone’s interested. You could also contact your local regional assembly and ask if they have a faith representative or faith committee you could get in touch with. Contact information for your regional assembly will be available from your local council.
Gaining acceptance into the interfaith community can be a slow business, calling for tact, patience and diplomacy. (It is probably true to say that it is the more established Christian Churches that are the most resistant to Druid/Pagan involvement in interfaith, and the Hindus that are most supportive, though this situation will vary from place to place). It is also important to remember that being involved in interfaith is not just about promoting Druid/Pagan rights, it’s about becoming an active member of your local interfaith community. It means sitting through meetings which can often be boring, slow and frustrating. It means listening to others and trying to understand their needs. It means being prepared to give up some of your spare time to get involved and help other people. It will also mean visiting temples, mosques, churches, gudwaras, meditation centres and other places of worship and learning about other people’s customs and beliefs. You will meet some truly inspiring characters and some prejudiced bigots, and you will need to try to treat everyone with respect no matter how different their beliefs are to your own. The Druid Network Interfaith Co-ordinator can offer support and advice, but you will need to take the initiative and be prepared to be persistent.
If you’re interested in representing the Druid Network on your local or regional interfaith council/group, you can contact me, Mark Graham, the Druid Network Interfaith Co-ordinator for advice and support.
