Equality and Diversity
As Christians we believe that all people, however different they may be, are made in God’s image. We believe that their differences tell us about God’s character and we praise Him for his gloriously diverse creation. At the same time we believe that because we are all made in God’s image, we are all equally valuable. Without appreciating diversity, there can be no equality!

When it comes to our multi-faith society, equality between the faiths is only possible when the distinct identity of each faith is recognised. By ‘equality between the faiths’ we do not mean that all faiths are equally true, but rather, that whilst we are free as Christians to claim that our faith is the only saving faith, we need to be aware that people of other faiths have the same freedom to make such a claim.

Distinctive Faith
Faithworks is currently involved in discussions with government ministers and civil servants, encouraging them to adopt a ‘distinctive faith’ approach to their work with faith groups. Distinctive faith recognises that people from different faith traditions often share the same concerns about society as a whole or about their particular local community, but maintains that all religious traditions are not the same and should be treated in a way that respects and affirms their differences.

As a Christian organisation, Faithworks wants to promote the distinctiveness of Christian social action. We want to be clear that we are motivated by our faith in Jesus. In doing this we also assert the right of those from other faith traditions to do the same – to articulate what makes their work distinctive and to use language and religious ideas that resonate with their own religious tradition.

A better future
We believe that we will only have strong and healthy communities when we recognise the distinctive identity of each faith. Nothing is a greater threat to good community relations than misconstruing people’s identity or homogenising different faith identities. However, we also believe that when we claim this equal right to a distinct faith identity, we need to recognise the right for others to do the same.

At a time when many people are confused and even fearful of the potential impact that faith will have on community relations - education, politics and public services – now is the time to address this confusion and be clear about what we believe and give others the right to do the same.

To download a copy of Faithworks '6 Point Plan to Developing an Understanding of Faith in Society', which was presented to Government during a press briefing held in October 2005, click on the link in the right-hand panel.