Paul Kingston

My experience of religion began in Northern Ireland, and was complicated by
the fact that one of my aunts was a Catholic nun, and one of my uncles a
Protestant minister. As a child I also lived in Ghana (then the Gold Coast),
a connection I continue to value.

As a teenager in England I became a confirmed member of the Church of
England. By the time I was studying philosophy at university I didn’t
believe in a supernatural god, and abandoned religion- though like many
young people I had strong ideals centred perhaps around the notion of the
brotherhood of all.

As a young married man, I realised that in abandoning religion I had thrown
away much that is very important. Might there be a religious group which did
not require me to pretend to believe what I saw as untrue? Through a
relative my wife and I found our way to Quakers. I have since discovered
that many of the world’s religions do not centre on supernatural belief, and
share many basic ideas.

I have come to realise that people of most faiths (and many who declare that
they have none) can agree about much that is important for action, and can
get together to make a better world. I have seen this for example in the
work for peace of people in Northern Ireland and South Africa and
Israel/Palestine, but also in Reading.

I value the opportunity that the Reading Interfaith Group has to bring
together people of goodwill to help build a community in our town which can
stand together in face of the many challenges of life in 21st century
England and come up with ideas to make things better. And enjoy each other’s
company.