Jain Spirit 2004 06 No 19

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 14

12 NEWS FEATURE
Faith Matters, UK Government Announces
Faith communities in Britain are to be consulted as a matter of course over a wide range of government policies and local authority initiatives, with civil servants receiving 'faith awareness training' to inform their work. A Home Office report, 'Working Together: Cooperation between Government and Faith Communities' says that officials should consult all relevant groups, as well as representatives of mainstream religions and secularists, in drawing up policy in a wide range of areas - political, economic and social.
T
he move was pioneered by Prime Minister Tony Blair and formed a commitment in the last Labour manifesto. It represents a substantial about-turn from previous long-standing suspicion or indifference at national and local levels about the motives and capabilities of religious groups.
Welcoming the report, the Prime Minister said: "A large majority of people in this country have some religious faith and we wanted to make sure that the needs and perspectives of the faith communities are taken into account as we develop our policies. Moreover, [they] have a wealth of experience and a proud record of work in their local communities and it makes good sense for the government to cooperate with them... in matters of common concern. Thriving faith communities are a vital component of our open and diverse society. Government can only benefit from engaging effectively with them."
Fiona Mactaggart, Home Office minister responsible for race equality, community policy and civic renewal, is in charge of the report. She said: "Conversations with faith groups will now become a much more normal part of doing business in Britain, just as normal as consultation with business or trade unions. They will see that they have influence, otherwise why should they bother to put energy into doing it?"
The report makes special reference to the need to take account of minority faiths, as well as better-known religious traditions. This might create a valuable opportunity for Britain's Jain communities.
Is Spirituality
Western scientists have appreciated for several decades that Altered States of Consciousness can be induced by various forms of meditation and contemplation, and by psychedelic drugs such as mescaline. This understanding has triggered increasing research into links between neurology and spirituality. Is there, scientists are starting to ask, a spiritual area in the human brain where religious insight is experienced and processed?
Dr. Mario Beauregard, a brainimager form the University of Montreal and his assistant, Vincent Paquette are embarking on a number of experiments to see if spiritual experience can be measured. In the