Displaying items by tag: faith communities

Practising Christian Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential candidate, has been endorsed by the largest group of clergy in modern history. His endorsements mainly come from Catholics, evangelicals and mainline Protestants, including Billy Graham’s granddaughter Jerushah Duford, former US ambassador for religious freedom Susan Johnson Cook, Michael Kinnamon, former general secretary of the National Council of Churches, and former gay episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson. ‘This record-breaking group of endorsers shows that President Trump’s lack of kindness and decency is energising faith communities and will cost him this election’, said the director of the Christian campaign organisation Vote Common Good, which compiled the endorsements. Anti-abortion Republicans defecting from Trump are voting for Biden this year. Four years ago, religious voters looked the other way to give Trump a chance, but after witnessing his cruelty and corruption, a growing number are turning away from him. Biden has frequently spoken of how his faith has sustained him through challenging times.

A document entitled Levelling Up Our Communities, written by Christian MP Danny Kruger at the request of Boris Johnson, outlines how the UK can build on the goodwill and togetherness established as a result of the pandemic, with thousands of people volunteering to help those in isolation. Among his recommendations are a bank holiday called Neighbour Day and a national database of volunteers for use in future emergencies. He also writes, ‘The Government should invite the country's faith leaders to make an offer of help in exchange for a reciprocal commitment from the state.‘ Faith communities will mobilise their congregations and commit their resources to tackling social problems of debt, children in care, prisoner rehabilitation, rough sleeping, or something else. Boris Johnson said the document was ‘comprehensive and highly ambitious, containing many exciting ideas’. The department for culture and sport would now consider the proposals.

The Prison Advice and Care Trust (Pact) is a Catholic charity providing support for prisoners and their families, by helping people make a fresh start and minimising the harm caused by imprisonment. It removes barriers between prisoners and the outside world, and influences policy and legislation in most prisons in England and Wales. In a bid to crack down on crime, Boris Johnson wants to create 10,000 extra prison places and end automatic early releases of prisoners before they finish their sentences. However Pact believes that the key for successful rehabilitation comes from connections with faith communities. It says the PM's solution is a plaster for a bullet wound: ‘If young people carry knives, because they're frightened and others are carrying knives, they're not going to stop carrying a knife, because the sentence is going to be longer. They’ll stop carrying a knife if they feel safe in their communities.’ See