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<p>At its July 2012 session the General Synod of the Church of England passed the
following motion:</p><p>“That this Synod express its conviction that it is the calling
of Christians to order and govern our lives in accordance with the teaching of Holy
Scripture, and to manifest our faith in public life as well as in private, giving
expression to our beliefs in the written and spoken word, and in practical acts of
service to the local community and to the nation.‟</p><p>Bishops of the Church of
England frequently speak about the need to ensure freedom of expression for Christians
and for those of other faiths and none in the public square. In their joint letter
before the last General Election, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York wrote:</p><p>“Contemporary
politics needs to re-evaluate the importance of religious belief. The assumptions
of secularism are not a reliable guide to the way the world works, nor will they enable
us to understand the place of faith in other people’s lives. Parishes and Chaplaincies
of the Church of England serve people of all faiths and none. Their contribution and
that of other denominations and faiths to the well-being of the nation is immense
– schools, food banks, social support, childcare among many others – and is freely
offered. But the role of faith in society is not just measured in terms of service
delivery...The new Parliament, if it is to take religious freedom seriously, must
treat as an essential task the improvement of religious literacy.”</p><p>The full
text can be read here: <a href="https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchurchinparliament.org%2F2017%2F05%2F09%2Fgeneral-election-2017-archbishops-issue-election-letter%2F&data=02%7C01%7Ccaroline.spelman.mp%40parliament.uk%7Cf043429f8fd9451b370408d537460623%7C1ce6dd9eb3374088be5e8dbbec04b34a%7C0%7C0%7C636475696241825720&sdata=OroVW92iBPZ0GqneZSZfTddQsmJ1FDDGslmLN1EJQnY%3D&reserved=0"
target="_blank">https://churchinparliament.org/2017/05/09/general-election-2017-archbishops-issue-election-letter/</a></p>
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