Dialogue
Role of Religion in Society
Our Vision
Over the past few decades, British society has undergone a significant change in its religious landscape. Such a change calls for deep reflection on questions regarding the role of religion in public life.
Recognising that religion is a powerful source of human motivation that shapes human thought and behaviour, and frames the way in which individuals and society interact, our office collaborates with other organisations to explore the many questions pertaining to the role of religion in public life.
How can the spiritual principles found in all the world’s religions be applied to resolve conflict, facilitate greater social harmony and create a peaceful society? How can we move beyond the binary nature of religious versus secular, public versus private, faith versus reason, and concentrate instead on working together for the common good?
Members of the UK Baha'i Community Gathered
Religious Education and Religious Literacy
We believe that an understanding of the role of religion in public life, as well as knowledge of the history, tenets, laws and practices of different religions can help to bridge divides between people of different faiths and remove feelings of “otherness”.
In this context, our office works with other organisations to help define the purpose, nature and approach of religious education and religious literacy in various settings, including education and the media.
Learning About Baha'u'llah's Letter to Queen Victoria on the Bicentenary Occasion 2017
"Consort with all religions with amity and concord, that they may inhale from you the sweet fragrance of God"
- Bahá'u'lláh
Interfaith Dialogue and Relations
Consorting with people of all faiths in a spirit of loving kindness is an article of faith for members of the Bahá’í community. Today Bahá’ís, who live in almost 500 localities in the UK, wholeheartedly and actively promote interfaith ideals at many levels of society.
Since the 1980’s the Bahá’í Community has been involved with nurturing the initiatives that led to the formation of the national Inter Faith Network’s constitution from the time of its conception. Bahá’is throughout the country actively support and participate in the network’s various local initiatives, including National Interfaith Week. All activities coordinated by Bahá’ís at both local and national levels are open to people of all faiths and no particular faith.
The Bahá’ís at local and national level are also actively involved in other interfaith groups and councils, such as the World Congress of Faiths, the Faith Based Regeneration Network, the Faith Communities Forum, Faiths Forum for London and the UK Women of Faith Network, to name a few.
Interfaith Relations