We’re often advised not to discuss religion and politics in polite conversation. However, last week I had the honor of having lunch with Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and he thinks this conventional wisdom is part of a much larger problem.
After he left office he started The Tony Blair Faith Foundation, an organization committed to promoting an understanding between religious faiths. His goal is to counter extremism and divisiveness in the six largest faiths and show that faith can be a positive force.
I’ve always been surprised about the power of belief. Ever heard the story of the four-minute mile? For years people believed that it was impossible for a human being to run a mile in less than four minutes until Roger Banister proved it wrong in 1954. Within one year, 37 runners broke the belief barrier. And the year after that, 300 other runners did the same thing.
Belief systems are still incredibly powerful in our society and most profound especially around religion. When I was growing up, my parents and church taught me that religion was about generosity of spirit and being good to others. However, as I have gotten older I have seen that it does not serve all that capacity. In fact, all too often I have seen people of faith define themselves in exclusion to others. If not focused on the core tenets I grew up to understand, faith can be used to create fear, ignorance, and hate.
I recall being at a World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland watching a panel of religious leaders who were severely challenged to find any common ground. In fact it was the most contentious panel discussion I observed. This was in total contrast to many of the business leaders who were fierce competitors in the marketplace but managed to have a respectful and collaborative dialogue with one another.
As Mr. Blair reflected on his time in office he said he believed he didn’t have enough of the appreciation for the power of religion and how it impacts global security and stability. This is why his foundation hopes to bring religions together not just to better understand each other, but also to address global poverty and conflict. He believes collaboration among faiths can help erase some of the world’s most urgent problems. What does the intersection between social activism and religious organizations look like? The incredible potential is hard to imagine.
Before the Internet, the telephone, and even before roads, religion was there to give structure to communities. This early social networking put today’s Facebook to shame. But religion is slow to change in a quickly changing world. The new power of globalization is moving fast to push nations and people closer together, and it is pushing faith, and there is the good and bad, along with it.
Billions of people consider themselves of faith, and believe it gives meaning to their lives. Faith is the basis of thought and behavior for nearly all and is often at the root of global issues. However, we find many nonreligious people discounting faith as merely a part of our past. Mr. Blair’s vision is for us all to take a thorough look at religion as a means of bringing insight to the condition of the world, and harness this to make a better future.
Religion is divisive at its worst, but the tenets of all great religions share the values of respect, justice, and compassion. These are values all good people share, if of faith or not. Instead of separating people, these commonalities must draw people together, and I agree with Mr. Blair, it must start happening now.
Just as no one can be forced into belief, so no one can be forced into unbelief. —Sigmund Freud
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