this is a continuation from the previous post (Alice Springs ‘law and order’ mantra now revised to the ‘pooing on the streets’ mantra)
First post in this thread is - Being a Progressive in Conservative Heartland
So we have the politicians putting programs into place, rearranging the deckchairs policing policies and staffing roles, arguing and media hustling…
What about the faith communities?
Let’s mass together all the groups of people joined by belief, all those following a yogi, priest, imam, pastor, captain.. working on their own soul and also hoping to create a better society. Faith groups regularly discuss ethics, are accountable to each other and usually have a vision of how the world could work better.
In order to play their role, many tender for and provide government social services and programs. They also freely provide services and support to the community.
I’ve heard some great stories and had interesting discussions with faith leaders of all persuasions. Intolerance of each other can sometimes come to the fore, but generally they relate to each other constructively and collaboratively.
Compare this to the politicians.
I guess faith groups do not aim to win votes approval of more than their share of the populace. They can operate at an optimum with a very small minority of the town’s population. Is this a better model? Perhaps it’s necessary to have the political overlords approximating what the majority want, then dispersing the projects to smaller groups who deliver on the ground in a myriad of different ways, with a myriad of different unerpinning philosophies?
What this amounts to is that the faith groups are able to take political policies a step further. They can deliver the objectives of the wider community whilst ‘value adding’ their own brand of belief. Most faiths have a strong connection to family values of some sort and so they often consider the needs of those around the person they deliver services to. This kind of glue can add much to the on-going benefit of the tax payer dollars being invested in improving the life of our citizens.
Maybe the politicians should revise their ‘we’ll all be rooned!’ mantra and start presenting to the public the opportunities for their involvement in the solution. We need to talk more about values and help people access support with reclaiming a values base. Acceptance of a wide range of values is important so long as lawful limits and consideration of those around you are adhered to.
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PS this is a continuation from the previous post (Alice Springs ‘law and order’ mantra now revised to the ‘pooing on the streets’ mantra)
First post in this thread is - Being a Progressive in Conservative Heartland
