At the LSE Faith Centre, we believe that religion is an immense source of good in the world. It provides inspiration, motivation and community for millions of people. But there is, sadly, a shadow side, and much harm can be done in the name of religion. Faith communities cultivate high levels of trust – in God, in leadership, and in fellow believers. That trust can be exploited through forms of abuse.
We seek to take responsibility for the religious gatherings that we host and the programmes that we run. You can view our Safeguarding Policy here.
University is a time when many people explore their beliefs and religious identity. Some people find new ways of expressing their preexisting faith in new communities. Some join a new faith tradition. Some turn away from faith altogether. Wherever your faith journey takes you, we want you to be asking wise questions about the communities you join and the power dynamics within them.
Based on our experience of working across religious communities and supporting students, here are five questions you could be asking both for yourself and for your friends:
Is your faith community asking you for money? You may be comfortable making an affordable donation, but many students struggle financially and are taking on large debts. So it may be that this is not the right time in your life to be supporting your faith community financially. There are lots of other ways of giving such as volunteering.
Do the meetings you attend involve physical touch that makes you uncomfortable? This may be part of worship or overfamiliarity on the part of leaders. You should be able to say if something crosses your boundaries. If you’re not listened to or the behaviour continues, that is a cause for concern.
Does the leadership seek to limit the support you receive from other sources, including family and friends, medical, psychological or other support? Faith is often the dominant aspect of a believer’s life. But everyone should have access to other sources of support and advice. If you feel pressured to only seek guidance from the leaders of your community, this is excessively controlling.
Are you in a community where questions are shut down? Any religion worth following is one that stands up to your questioning. You should be bringing the same kind of critical thinking to faith that you bring to your studies! If this isn’t allowed, be aware that there are other religious communities where it is welcome and this may suit you better.
Do you feel afraid? This may be fear of God’s judgement, fear of being shamed, or fear of other members of the group. Fear is rarely a good motivator for anything, including faith. If you feel afraid, share your feelings with someone outside the group who you trust.
Most religious organisations in the UK will now have a safeguarding policy. You should always be allowed to see this and if they do not have one, this suggests they have not thought about the risks.
There are a lot of great organisations and communities and we want you to have a positive experience/journey. If you need help finding a religious community, or if you have any concerns about an organisation, please contact our Centre Manager, Jess, at j.hazrati@lse.ac.uk, or visit the Faith Centre, 2nd Floor, SAW Building.
If you have concerns about a specific new religious movement, you can also get advice from INFORM.
Key documents:
LSE Safeguarding Policy
LSE Faith Centre Safeguarding Policy
LSE Policy for Engagement with External Religious Organisations