Reforming the House of Lords

Reading Mark Pack's views on House of Lord's reform (see), I have thought further about the need to retain the presence of the Lords Spiritual. The Bishop's perform an important role, which despite some secularist contrary opinion, is appreciated by leaders of other main religions. The Church is an important balance to the other two powers in our society -Politics and the Markets- as James Cary points out:-

'This is why the third realm, The Church, is the most important of all. The Church is Society. The Church is Community. The Church does not step in where the state fails. Or the market fails. The church should be doing all these things anyway. It doesn't need a mandate from the other two realms. For hundreds of years, the church provided the education, the hospitals and the relief of the poor. Naturally it did it in a flawed way, but arguably no worse than the way the state does it today. The Church - and the family - is where real life takes place. There should be little need for the the average Jo to have much contact with the State, unless he starts stealing bread'

The Church does provide a moral basis for decision making even though Christian Leaders are unlikely to agree on everything; there are after all Christian politicians in each of the main parties. Nor do they have to be in Politics to have an influence, as wise Cardinals and Archbishops have shown. It is interesting that the Chinese Communist State having researched why Capitalism works, concluded that it is the Christian background which gave some stability in reducing corruption and maintaining the rule of law, and so now faith groups are encouraged in China!

So, if the reformed House of Lords is to be elected, how many Spiritual Lords should there be and how may they be elected? Assuming the leaders of the main Christian Denominations are eligible, should leaders of Islam, Judaism and Hinduism in the UK also be included? and of course this is a UK wide election not just England; I think dis-establishment of the Church of England is necessary!

The Church of the 21st Century is changing to serve a very different society now -and the current recession provides new ways for Christian discipleship and new ways of being Church.