Leading church leaders representing more than 1300 churches have written to the new Prime Minister expressing their “concern at the lack of religious literacy in British public life and the unwarranted hostility this can breed towards those in Bible-believing churches”.
This is evident, the letter explains, in “the way people talk about a legislative ban on so-called conversion therapy”.
Labour is expected to railroad its plans for “a full trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices”, with sources saying we could see legislation within the first 100 days.
Officials say that by including ‘safeguards’ similar to those found in former Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle’s unsuccessful Private Member’s Bill, Labour will be able to produce workable legislation. But independent legal advice is clear that the supposed safeguards in the Russell-Moyle Bill are worthless and simply won’t protect the ordinary work of churches.
Gay and trans people are already rightly protected from verbal and physical abuse by existing law. An extension of the current law will see innocent, harmless behaviour brought within the scope of a criminal ban.
‘Conversion therapy’ is an elastic term. It is being used to conflate mainstream, traditional Christian teaching on sexuality and gender with abuse.
Activists are no longer simply calling for a ban on already illegal egregious practices. They say prayer and pastoral conversations must be criminalised too.
Parents who dissuade their children from irreversible gender treatment or inappropriate sexual experimentation are also at risk under the Government’s planned legislation.
Co-signatory Revd Dr Matthew Roberts commented:
“Christianity is essential to the history and culture of Britain and remains a vital voice for the wellbeing of our society. Yet increasingly it seems as though some in Government are barely aware of the Church’s existence and almost wholly ignorant of what Christians believe and why. We very much hope that this new Government will recognise the vital contribution of Christians to Britain and will not (accidentally perhaps) legislate against them.”
Co-signatory Revd Graham Nicholls commented:
“We want to be prayerful and supporting of the new Labour Government but have grave concerns about their proposals for a so-called conversion therapy ban. New legislation which will not make any difference to genuine abuse, which is already illegal, but will open the door to spurious accusations to be made against those who want the freedom to live out their Christian faith, and parents and pastors who uphold the Bible’s teaching on matters of sexuality and gender.”
