God, Tony Blair, and human agency

September 8, 2009 by
Filed under: The RSA 

Last night we kicked off the new season of RSA events, and a pretty good start it was too. My old boss, Tony Blair, was the first speaker in a series of events on faith that we are hosting along with partners Oxfam, Islamic Relief, DFID and World Vision. We even had the internationally acclaimed writer on religion and inter faith activist, Karen Armstrong, in the chair.

I have been questioned by a couple of people on why an organisation like the RSA, founding on enlightenment principles of humanism and rationalism, should be hosting debates on faith. I have three answers:

First, whether non believers such as myself like it or not, faith is an incredibly powerful force in the world; a force for good as TB underlined with his many examples of faith organisations’ role in tackling poverty and disease in Africa and a force for evil as we were vividly reminded yesterday by the conviction of Muslim extremists who had presumably been taught that killing thousands of innocent civilians was a guaranteed path to paradise. At the heart of the inter faith project pursued by Blair and Armstrong is the attempt through practical action to underline a principle common to all world religions, the so-called golden rule of reciprocity: ‘do to others what you would like to be done to you’.

Second, just because one might question the rational basis for faith doesn’t mean one shouldn’t respect it as a source of inspiration. After all, most of us accept the idea of romantic love even though this too could be portrayed as an incoherent and overblown rationalisation for a set of biological needs and urges. Or as the post structuralist French philosopher, Jacques Lacan, memorably put it: ‘love is the term we use to describe the historical delusion that we are no longer alone in the world’.

Third, the nature of human agency is an important area of research and debate for the RSA. It is clear that not just the capacity but also the predisposition to believe in a power or logic beyond human comprehension is hard–wired in human beings. What is more, participation in faith communities reflects a deep seated human need for connectedness based on shared meaning making. This is one of the conclusions of the work which will feature in tonight’s second new season event, in which Professor John Cacioppo will reflect on what he argues is an epidemic of loneliness. Cacioppo’s book – called simply ‘Loneliness’ and co-authored with William Patrick – ends with a quote from the scientist and Darwinian E.O Wilson:

‘We are obliged by the deepest drives of the human spirit to make ourselves more than animated dust. We must have a story to tell about where we came from and why we are here’. 

For myself, I have never found a satisfactory account of religious belief which lies between the incredible notion of a supernatural being overseeing human affairs or a generalised sense of the possibility of good in the world (which I can endorse without needing to believe in God). But instead of using this dichotomy to close down my engagement I find myself increasingly interested in understanding why people I respect and admire see faith as so powerful in their lives.

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16 Comments on God, Tony Blair, and human agency

  1. John Hitchin on Tue, 8th Sep 2009 11:47 am

    2. I too am a non-believer with a large interest in the questions your raise. I spent a lot of my masters researching these questions through the lens of history, and found constant illumination not from Lacan, but from de Certeau. His book, The Writing of History, remains a intensely thought provoking study.

    Thanks for the interesting blog, and as somebody passionate about the enlightenment ideals of the RSA, I agree with your arguments on the need to talk about faith.

  2. Matthew Cain on Tue, 8th Sep 2009 12:17 pm

    3. I suspect I will be more interested in faith the closer I get to death as a means of persuading myself there’s a longer-term purpose to my life.

    It’s interesting that in almost all religions, God takes on some sort of physical being. I can imagine it’s much easier for people to believe in doing good things for another person/being than it is doing it for something inanimate such as a set of ideas or principles.

  3. Blair Supporter on Tue, 8th Sep 2009 2:19 pm

    4. A good article, and one I completely agree with, and empathise with.

    Do you know if Mr Blair will be appearing at any other seminars in this series? So far his Office has not replied to my question on this.

    Btw, Blair supporters, or any who admire the man, may be interested in this petition, which means to rein in vitriolic press coverage as the Iraq Inquiry progresses.

    http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/ban-blair-baiting.html

  4. Aaron Shields on Tue, 8th Sep 2009 2:26 pm

    5. Good post.
    Although I have long considered myself a humanist, I never really reconciled the rationalist ideas into this philosophy. In the end, I find they lack warmth and betray their humanist name. I believe in many of the things you speak, but I feel there is plenty of room for grey borders and fuzziness. I think grappling this fuzziness is as distinct a human motivation as the desire for logic and rationality. While these polar extremes exist and archetypal examples can be found in people of merit, I believe it is the interplay between these extremes that defines our humanity as individuals. All the theologians I respect have always tended to mould the dogma of their church seamlessly into their world view (not the opposite).

  5. Iftikhar on Tue, 8th Sep 2009 3:34 pm

    6. The demand for state funded Muslim school is in accordance with the law of the land. Muslim community is not asking for any favour. The demand for state funded Muslim schools is the result of institutional racism rife in the British schooling. EXtremism in the Muslim youths is the fruit of racism experienced by the Muslim children in schools, playgrounds and streets.The experience of racism made them angry, frustrated and extremist youths. A new study has showen that nearly half of primary and secondary school teachers believe that Muslim headscarves should be banned in schools. 7/7 bombers have been radicalised in the context of racist schools rather than in Pakistan. Imams or Masajid are not the brainwashers of Muslim youths. It is state schools who have been mis-educating and de-educating Muslim children for the last 60 years.

    Muslim schools are necessary because Muslim children feel confident within them and they grow up, therefore, as confident citizens ready to participate in society. Anti-Muslim prejudice amongst teachers is well known. During Rushdie affairs, a teacher was overheard in a conversation saying; ‘ why can’t we just take these kids away from their parents’? Aboroginal babies were taken away from parents and the Prime Minister of Australia apologised to the Abrognies for their abuse.

    Majority of the anti-Muslim stories about Muslims were not about terrorism but about Muslim culture – the hijab, Muslim schools, family life and religiosity. Muslims in the west ought to be recognised as a western community not as an alien culture.

    In France Muslim girls are not allowed to cover their heads. This is called liberalism. During the time of Taliban in Afghanistan, women were forced to cover themselves. This is called extremism by the west. In the west Muslims are treated as political poison. They are increasingly the target of a “shoot first and ask questions later” policy.

    West is the Mongoles of our time. The new Mongols are far worse than the first one. This new Mongols destroys the Islamic Identity of the Muslim youths. A Large number of them have changed their names and there is no shortage of ex-Muslims in the west. EX-Muslim council recieves state funding.

    Iftikhar Ahmad

    London School of Islamics Trust

  6. Tony Blair Speech, London Seminar, Faith & Development, London 7th Sep 2009 « Tony Blair on Tue, 8th Sep 2009 4:23 pm

    7. [...] Matthew Taylor has blogged on thse bove meeting here. A good read. Mr Taykor is  Chief Executive of the RSA. Prior to that he was Chief Adviser on Political Strategy to Prime Minister, Tony Blair. [...]

  7. John Green on Tue, 8th Sep 2009 9:58 pm

    8. As so often I agree with almost everything that you say but surely the statement “a principle common to all world religions, the so-called golden rule of reciprocity: ‘do to others what you would like to be done to you’.” is untrue; the reciprocity applies only to those sharing the same faith, often only the same bitter and twisted fragment of a faith such as Christianity or Islam. And even within a faith reciprocity does not cross gender barriers. Like you I cannot understand why seemingly intelligent people invoke otherwordly apparitions unless it is because it allows them to do things which they wouldn’t like to done to them but ‘had to do’ because that was the will of the supreme being or whatever.

  8. Roger Evans on Wed, 9th Sep 2009 7:40 am

    9. Matthew Cain says he will be more interested in faith the closer he gets to death. Do you know the date Matthew-it could be anytime.? Don’t leave it too late
    Roger

  9. Tony Blair’s speech & video, London seminar, Faith & Development « Tony Blair on Wed, 9th Sep 2009 9:00 am

    10. [...] advisor and now RSA chief executive, and the man who speaks first in the video, reports on this at his blog, [...]

  10. Steve on Wed, 9th Sep 2009 2:17 pm

    11. Interesting post Matthew. Like you I am interested in why some people seem so convinced that their particular faith is both good for them and also would be good for me if only I could lift the scales from my eyes. Not just followers of the main religions but also the new ‘Fundamental Atheists’, who seem to me just as aggressive, intrusive and convinced of their own innate ‘rightness’ as any Scots Presbyterian, Jehovah’s Witness or Muslim fundamentalist (not a definitive list, just a few examples).

    I can’t deny that faith brings its own rewards – I have seen the peace it brings to some at bereavement etc and I am sure that never having to contemplate the possibility you might be wrong about something provided you follow your particular rote is useful for many, but I can’t do it, and I don’t actually think I am wrong to feel that way either. Doubt, as it manifests in my head seems a positive thing when set against the sureness of some others. I would tend to take John Stewart-Mill as my guide but not too much – I wouldn’t want to make a religion of it.

  11. Graham Morton on Wed, 9th Sep 2009 8:28 pm

    12. Thank you, Matthew (and John Hitchin) for the generosity of spirit evident in your post.

    In her speech accepting the TED prize last year, Karen Armstrong referred to one of the most unpleasant features of many ‘religious’ people is a conviction that they have a monopoly of the truth. The same is true, of course, of many militant atheists. They have a tendency to see things as being either black or white.

    Many have cited religion as the the justification for their contempt, hatred and violence. But as some of the responses to your post make clear, many people claiming no religion behave in just the same way.

    In a very interesting paper, palliative care consultant Dr Robert Twycross has distinguished between two groups of people belonging to faith communities: those for whom religion is ‘life escaping’ and those for whom it is ‘life engaging’. The former have very clearly defined convictions on a whole series of issues. When it comes to

  12. Graham Morton on Wed, 9th Sep 2009 9:09 pm

    13. [continuation] ‘uncharted territory’ such as dying, they may find it particularly difficult to cope.

    I too have strong convictions and would have to plead guilty to a charge of ‘not suffering fools gladly’. But I aspire to follow Jesus Christ and am persuaded by Karen Armstrong that showing contempt for, or hatred of, another human being is incompatible with ‘true religion’.

    For me, Libby Purves put it very well in an article in The Times on 17th August:

    … if any religion is anything at all beyond flummery and flapdoodle, it is an inward self-surrender to some ultimate and unchanging goodness, beauty and strength. This in turn makes the individual forbearing, respectful and loving towards all other human beings, seeing in them a reflection of that splendour. Everything else… is marginal. Taking offence, puffing with indignation and issuing self-justifying statements are not religious activities, any more than persecution and terrorism. Respect other people’s journeys…

  13. Matthew Cain on Fri, 11th Sep 2009 12:32 pm

    14. Thank you Roger for your best wishes. I’m planning on death some time around 2071 – if not I’m either going to have to save harder or not bother!

  14. Best of the web 11/09/09 | www.the-vibe.co.uk on Fri, 11th Sep 2009 1:02 pm

    15. [...] http://www.mattwardman.com/blog/2009/09/09/tony-blair-and-the-need-to-be-aware-of-unknown-unknowns/ debating http://50.116.84.209/~thersa/matthewtaylor/thersa/god-tony-blair-and-human-agency/ [...]

  15. Roger Evans on Sat, 12th Sep 2009 9:14 am

    16. Thanks Matthew,
    You must have faith of a sort already if you can plan the date of your death. What is your secret?
    Roger

  16. Environmentalism is the new religion? So what if it is? : The Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts on Fri, 18th Sep 2009 12:51 pm

    17. [...] see the aforementioned Matthew Taylor is also musing on the positives of religion in his most recent [...]

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