I'd like to respond to Michael's posting. I am vice-chair of Churches Together in Sydenham and Forest Hill and was in the lead on organizing last night' s forum. (Good to see about 100 people there, despite the rival attraction on the telly).

Although there was a gap in 2005, there is quite a long tradition of CTSFH organizing hustings events during general election campaigns. In doing so, we have had two objectives. One is to provide a forum in which Christians and others who are committed to exploring the political implications of their faith can raise issues of particular concern to them which might not get much of a hearing in other strands of the campaign. The other is to provide a service for the local community, by giving them an opportunity to see, hear and question their local candidates, and thus to support the local democratic process.

Obviously there can sometimes be some friction between these objectives. Perhaps in future we should recognize that more explicitly in planning and publicising the event.

I am sorry that Michael felt that Bishop Christopher's decision to open the meeting with prayer was not 'appropriate or respectful.' It was after all a church-sponsored event, and this has always been made quite clear, as Michael acknowledges. I have been a life-long observer(from school assemblies onward) of public prayer being offered, without overt complaint, in the presence of a mixture of believers and non-believers. I've always assumed that it's not a big psychological problem on such occasions for non-believers to dissociate themselves from what's being said. (I've done it myself at some Christian services I've attended, e.g. when I found myself on the point of unwittingly dedicating myself to the Immaculate Heart of Mary!)