WHAT did Hounslow Council hope to achieve by its 'multifaith recession conference'? And did it achieve anything at all?
Councillor Peter Thompson writes in his blog on the council website that conference-goers 'heard a lot about the unmet and
sometimes hidden needs the recession can create'. But the only hint of any outcome that he reports is the vague suggestion of thought about how the council can do more to support religious organisations across the borough.
The council reported the following week that the conference 'brought together faith groups from across the country', though it did not state at what expense.
The bulk of the report quotes Councillor Thompson, before concluding that the event was 'an opportunity'. But it makes no claim that the opportunity was seized, or that any good is expected to result, or that any other councillors share his beliefs.
Last week the House of Lords debated the BBC's antediluvian religious stance, urging that, 'as established religion loses heart, congregations and credibility', the BBC Trust should move from the 19th century into the 21st.
Councillor Thompson should remember his position as leader of the secular council, and do the same. Bronze Age superstitions and rituals are seldom of much use or relevance to contemporary problems.
REV DR JOHN HUNT First Church of Atheism
