The Equality Bill

You know me, I don't do politics, however I happened to stumble on an e-petition related to our fundamental right of freedom of expression. Shouldn't we, as Christians, have the right to tell others about the Good News without being 'persecuted'. So I could not resist to let you know. 

The government has given the illusion that it has backed down on an amendment to the Equality Bill that would force people to act against their God-given consciences.

This innocuous sounding bit of legislation is just one more attempt by the government to take away more and more fundamental freedoms of conscience and liberty of speech, that have taken centuries to achieve and cost the lives of our ancestors, and force us to “conform to the pattern of this world,” The latest version of the Equality Bill is in effect, worse than that produced in 2003.

The Amendments to Equality Bill are to be voted on in the House of Lords very soon.

The legislation aims to strike out major exemptions for the purposes of organised religion, relating to occupational requirements, with regard to sex, marriage and sexual orientation. Specifically the legislation will restrict the rights of religious bodies to employ personnel who conform to their teachings only if their duties are confined to worship activities or the explanation of doctrine. The government is making out that it is prepared to make a few concessions, but these are mere crumbs.

 In my opinion, the legislation is designed to reduce religion to a mere cultural eccentricity, where there is no expectation that belief will be considered to be either objectively true or be translated into behaviour – certainly if such beliefs conflict with the government’s secularist ideology, morality and values – which are already imposed on us as absolute and objective truths. In my view, this is just another example of the government’s interfering (facilitated with threats, fines, loss of job and even worse) not just into our churches, but into the most intimate area of our lives: our consciences; our thinking; our emotions, into our families and the apples of eyes – our children.

The Petition can be found here: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/harryhammond/

David Skinner

To find out any more, click on this link

http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/2010/01/26/equality-bill-government-illusion/

Have a blessed evening. In Jesus' name.