The Bishop of Leicester has warned that “democracy is under threat” because of polarisation in the nation, urging the Church of England to be a force for unity in response.
Rt Rev Martyn Snow led discussions at the Church’s General Synod about the “urgent” challenge to bring communities together in the face of extremism.
Polling from Ipsos has found 85% of Britons believe the nation is divided, and 55% think differences in people’s political views are so divisive that it is dangerous for society.
Bishop Martyn drew inspiration from Jeremiah, of God’s command that his people should seek the welfare of the city while exiled in Babylon.
“Friends, I don’t think we should be in any doubt – our democracy is under threat today,” Bishop Martyn said.
“If a very large number of people think our country is ‘broken’ and ‘divided’, it doesn’t matter whether we agree with them or not - the very fact that so many people think it, means that we should not be surprised if many start looking for increasingly radical solutions to ‘fix’ our nation.
“And if those solutions don’t immediately work, the temptation will be to look for even more radical solutions – and history gives us plenty of examples of where that can lead.”
He believed that Christians should take an active role in defending democracy: “however imperfect, [it] recognises the dignity and agency of every human being”.
He presented five calls for the church: to honestly reckon with history; to celebrate pride in the nation while opposing prejudice; to see all as gifted, even those marginalised by society; to build relationships across difference; and to build active citizens inspired by faith.
“It's about weaving the fabric of society such that vulnerable groups are not scapegoated, and religion is not co-opted by unhealthy forms of nationalism, and we do not withdraw from our moral and ethical responsibilities to the wider world”, Bishop Martyn said.
The paper on “promoting unity in our nation” calls on the Church to “[cherish] what is characteristic about England and its people”, acknowledging how there have been different approaches to understanding unity in flying the St George’s Cross.
Synod members discussed their experiences of how current tensions in society have affected them, Scripture they have been inspired by, and how they have sought to unite their communities.