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Editorial:
Thinking about the common good? From
the director: Untold stories Faith
and Politics After Christendom Comment:
Doing the Right Thing Give
Generously and Change the World? Economics
and the Common Good Interview
with Jim Wells (MLA): Polishing our Cars Review:
No Longer Strangers Division
and Diversity: Churches in a plural society Buying
in - Opting out Interview
with Fr Mariusz Dabrowski: Meet the neighbours Questions
& Answers: Reader survey responses Review:
Mark: Gospel of Action Bible
Study: The Common Good Difficult
Conversations: Let's talk about tax... |
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| The use of the language of “majority” and “minority” has long been part of Northern Ireland’s public debate. More recently, however, we are seeing these terms used in a new way as Northern Ireland experiences increasing social diversity. | |||
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CHRISTIAN CHURCHES together make up a majority population in Northern Ireland. The majority (85 percent) of people here have Christian religious affiliation, over 90 percent of which affiliate to one of the four largest churches.1 With around half of Northern Ireland’s population attending church at least once a week and a further third attending less often, Northern Ireland remains a place where churches play an important role in the lives of individuals and society.2 Christian churches in Northern Ireland, therefore, are part of the majority religious population and, statistically speaking, overwhelmingly so. So, while there is a general sense of a loss of influence or moral authority by the churches in society, churches and their adherents remain part of a large majority. Church-goers are employers, work colleagues, civil servants, bus drivers, nurses and doctors, cashiers in supermarkets, school teachers, mums at the school gates, cleaners, housing officers, neighbours …The values, attitudes and behaviours of Christians are a majority ethos in daily interactions and the way we function together as a society. Hence, in our post-Troubles (but not post-conflict) society, Christian churches and their religious values are enmeshed in both causes and consequences of Northern Ireland society’s various struggles to deal with diversity. A greater ethnic diversity has come with a growth in the numbers of foreign nationals employed here, the presence of refugees and asylum seekers, as well as internal migration within the United Kingdom. And while ethnicity and religion do not necessarily go hand in hand, more ethnic groups do bring greater religious diversity. Further, that people have different sexual identities is also becoming more an open part of Northern Ireland society. Section 75 of the 1998 Northern Ireland Act has statutory provision for the protection of people of all sexual orientations and, in December 2005, Belfast was the first place to see civil partnerships in the week they were introduced throughout the UK. It is something of an understatement to say that this increased social diversity has not been met with an unqualified welcome. A recent study concluded, “Northern Ireland has the highest proportion of bigoted people in the western world…Not only does Northern Ireland – along with Greece – have the highest proportion of bigots, but the bigots are on average more bigoted than those in other countries.”3 This statement was based on the finding that 44 percent of people in Northern Ireland did not want someone from at least one of the following five groups living next door to them: homosexuals;4 immigrants or foreign workers; Muslims; Jews; or someone of another race. The majority “dislike” in this study was for homosexuals (at 36 percent)5.Certainly the first civil partnerships were met with some aggressive protests – by Christians. And while many churches would not condone the behaviour or demeanour of the protestors, they would still consider same-sex practices to be immoral. Another survey found that one in three Protestants and nearly one in five Catholics stated they are racially prejudiced. Selfreported prejudice among members of political parties was at least one in five with the UUP closer to one in three and almost half (46 percent) of DUP supporters.6 Anecdotal and research evidence of the extent of racist attitudes and behaviour that exists here has earned (whether accurately or not) Northern Ireland the title of “race hate capital of Europe.” Racial prejudice “is no less dangerous or harmful than racist harassment. In fact the effects of racial prejudice are that more insidious. They can often inform, either consciously or unconsciously, people’s actions and behaviour. This, in turn, can lead to the development of policies, processes and routine practices among the majority population that have the consequence of disadvantaging and excluding minority ethnic people.”7 All of which amounts to “institutional racism”. The opposition in 2003 to the building of a mosque in Craigavon is evidence of the unwillingness to accommodate public space for religious diversity. While some churches offered their support to the Muslims in the area, other Christians were vocal in their opposition.8 To explore how Catholic and Protestant churches are responding to Northern Ireland’s increasing social diversity, the Centre for Contemporary Christianity in Ireland has begun a research project called, “Faith in a Plural Society: The Values, Attitudes and Practices of Churches in Protecting Minority Participation”.9 The project will highlight issues of diversity requiring serious attention from the churches in relation to ethnicity, religion and sexuality. It will assess how the churches think about concepts of civic society (such as equality, human rights, and tolerance) and look at how these concepts relate to the churches’ theological and religious values and mindsets (in terms of their understanding of human personhood, justice and truth). Mindful that Northern Ireland is moving into greater social diversity out of sectarian conflict, the research will consider to what extent this experience of social division has prejudiced the churches against or fostered their openness to civic diversity. In a divided society, a sense of personal and communal security often comes from the solidarity of a homogeneous community identity. This security is threatened by the presence of those with different identities, even if not belonging to a group’s principle “other”. Hostility to outsiders can manifest in direct violence against members of minority ethnic groups, but it can also be expressed in terms of fears about losses of territory and belonging, jobs and livelihood, or way of life.10 Another example of how sectarianism can impact how foreign nationals are received in Northern Ireland is evident with Polish migrant workers being perceived in respect of their Catholicism. Through an examination of religious and civic values, a survey of attitudes and activities of clergy and their congregations, and in-depth interviews with church leaders and members, the Faith in a Plural Society Project will critically engage with this sector of society. Christian churches together form a majority of Northern Ireland’s population. Their adherents’ values and understanding of diversity are shaped by their faith. Therefore, they do have an impact on how individuals within minority populations are received in Northern Ireland and experience living here. The project will explore the resources within the churches that can help their members play a constructive role in our increasingly diverse society. If you would
like to talk to us about what is happening in your church or neighbourhood,
or about appropriate Christian responses to diversity, we would
like to hear from you. Please contact Fran
Porter or Anna
Rankin, telephone 028 9032 5258. DR FRAN PORTER is leading the Centre for Contemporary Christianity’s Faith in a Plural Society Research Project. 1 2001 Census of Population statistics, table KS07a http://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/Census/pdf/Key%20Statistics%20ReportTables.pdf accessed 30/06/06. 2 McAllister, I. (2005). Driven to Disaffection: Religious Independents in Northern Ireland, Ark Research Update 41. 3 http://news.ulster.ac.uk/releases/2007/2980.html accessed 09/02/07. 4 Homosexual was the term employed in the survey, but many people in this population prefer to be called gay or lesbian. 5 http://news.ulster.ac.uk/releases/2007/2980.html accessed 09/02/07. The study is reported in V. K. Booroah and J. Mangen (2007 forthcoming). “Love They Neighbour: How Much Bigotry is There in Western Countries?” Kyklos and is available through the aforementioned webpage. 6 Gilligan, C. and K. Lloyd (2006). “Racial Prejudice in Northern Ireland.” Ark Research Update 44. 7 Connolly, P. (2005). An Examination of the Nature and Causes of Racism in Northern Ireland. “Belfast - An Inclusive Society?” Exploring Issues of Racism and Diversity, Spring Conference of the Irish Association, March 2005. 8 A. Rankin (2004). “Religious Liberty in the Shadow of Drumcree.” Lion&Lamb (37): 22. 9 This research is possible due to a grant from the Community Relations Council as part of the European Union Peace Programme in Northern Ireland with the aim of promoting research on the “Rights and Codes of Conduct for a Diverse Society – Protecting Minority Participation.” 10 These three were identified respectively as the fears of children, young men, and older people in P. Connolly and M. Keenan (2001). The Hidden Truth: Racist Harassment in Northern Ireland. Belfast, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), pp. 48, 61, 69. |
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