Religious people should be able to publicly practise their faith because people who “do God, do good”, a Government minister will say.

Baroness Warsi’s comments come as new research shows that church-goers alone are providing almost 100 million hours of unpaid volunteer work on social projects a year.

The research also showed that donations from churches to social projects had gone up 20 per cent over two years despite the economic downturn.

God

Lady Warsi will tell a meeting of both Houses of Parliament that faith groups can “reach areas of need that Government cannot”.

The Baroness, speaking at the publication of the annual “Church and Community Involvement” survey, said last year that “Britain does do God”.

She will say that “people who do God, do good. In other words, very often faith is the basis for good deeds.

“It influences, it inspires, it impels at every turn.”

She added that “too often we overlook the practical manifestation of faith: the mother and toddlers groups, the school assemblies, the fundraiser days, the 98 million hours churchgoers spend volunteering each year.

“For me, that’s the most powerful manifestation of faith: The collective demonstration of people’s individual beliefs.”

Faith

In 2010 Baroness Warsi also told Church of England Bishops that the Coalition would “do God”.

She insisted that under the Coalition the church would play a central role in the Big Society, a scheme where grassroots volunteers get involved in their local communities.

Source: Christian Institute