The theme for the forum on May 11th 2010 was What on Earth are YOU doing?. SIFRE members from the Faith and Belief communities around Ipswich were asked to speak for not more than ten minutes about the activities, aspirations and needs of their particular communities. SIFRE hoped to be able to identify areas of common concern, areas for cross-faith co-operation, which will be mutually beneficial and where one community might be able to help or advise another on issues of common concern.

As no SH&S member was available to attend the forum (it clashed with our regular meeting), I sent a paper, which ends:

We look forward to the day when everyone, regardless of their beliefs, will be treated as individuals and consulted as such, rather than through their community. Although some Humanists talk about a community, the idea is generally anathema to most of us. Some say that trying to organise Humanists is like trying to herd cats, with good reason, because we like to think for ourselves rather than accept any authority. The only form of community we recognise is the one we live in our street, neighbourhood or district where we have diverse beliefs, interests and opinions, and where we must try to get along together in spite of our differences. The same applies to society in general.

[Click here to download the full text (pdf)](SIFRE Forum of Faiths, 11 May 2010.pdf “SIFRE forum May 2010”).

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