Tony's Redemption?

Faith dialogue is vital. When I heard Tony Blair's new role as a peace envoy, I was (and remain) extremely sceptical.

However, from the moment he launched his Faith Foundation, I felt there was something worthwhile there. Faith, in the UK, is a hotbed of ignorance and misconception on almost every side of every debate.

I came to Cardiff University this year. I remember the moments when I told people I was Catholic were met with alternating scorn, disbelief, horror or amusement. For the first few weeks, I'd hasten to add, "But I'm not one of those right-wing ones, its alright!" Needless to say, I've stopped that now. To anyone I meet now, I'm Catholic. That's it. That's all. If they take the time to ask me about my faith, then I'm sure they'd probably be extremely surprised at my views. But very few people do ask. They hear the word "Catholic" and assume that, despite being a Liberal Democrat, I am an anti-gay, anti-woman, anti-science, anti-everything moron foaming at the mouth whilst breathing incense for kicks.

There's actually very few Catholics like that, in all honesty.

I went to Catholic Primary and Secondary schools. State-funded. My school shaped my views of religion more than any other place. In terms of science, although the view is disputed by Richard Dawkins, we were taught the idea that: "Science explains how, God explains why." Dawkins hates that view, but it has allowed me to believe everything about science, to keep my faith, but retain a healthy scepticism about the hierarchies of religion - and some of their attitudes towards science.

Our school also taught us about other faiths. Admittedly, much of it is forgotten, and many of the early school learnings are. But I know enough to be able to argue with an absolute, single-minded passion whenever anyone tells me "Muslims hate Christians" or "Jews don't worship God" or some extremely wild and fundamentally incorrect views. To put my argument simply in regards to those views: Judaism, Christianity and Islam all follow the same God. Many people are surprised when you tell them that Muslims actually believe in the Virgin Birth (like Catholics) and that they believe it will be Jesus who leads the Second Coming (like Christians - although the name for Jesus and the name for the Second Coming are different of course).

It amazes me, as (I would hope) a semi-articulate Christian, that even in the UK there is such division amongst religious people. And where does it come from? It is not, as some of my more agnostic/atheist friends might suggest, because religions are essentially vehicles for hatred and division. It is not because secretly every single Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindi, Sikh (etc) wants to destroy every other religion. It is quite simply, because there is a deep ignorance between religions.

Even amongst different kinds of Christianity, there is ignorance. Just look at the hatred that continues between Protestants and Catholics.

So for once, I applaud absolutely, Tony Blair. His move to get young people across different religions talking is highly laudable. If his Faith Foundation is still going in the next few years, it will have brought about an incredible amount of good. It is an organisation that all faiths (and none) can unite around, and work hard to end the ignorance which has doomed our world to endless religious conflict.

How long will it take us to realise this? Even the religions are starting to talk about shared values, as well. It is an often ignored fact that the Second Vatican Council - often derided for not being progressive enough - actually signally a seismic shift in the attitudes of the Catholic Church. It was during the Second Vatican Council, that the Catholic Church recognised the freedom of people to choose their own religion. It was an incredible decision which must have shaken the whole establishment to the core. But it means that even amongst what is viewed as one of the most authoritarian faiths (the Catholics), there is acceptance of other religions.

Lets work on it. Lets teach people about other religions. Lets shout about what unites us rather than what divides us.

It is a shame that Margaret Thatcher, one of the most divisive figures in British political history, took Francis of Assisi's prayer when she entered office in 1979. Any use of that prayer now would seem cliched. But really, it does apply: "where there is hatred, let me sow love." It is the duty of all and every religious person in Britain to work hard against religious ignorance.

Congratulations, Tony Blair.