The Evangelical Alliance has welcomed plans for a Government consultation on proposals to abolish the law relating to blasphemy.
10 January 2008
The Evangelical Alliance has welcomed plans for a Government consultation on proposals to abolish the law relating to blasphemy.
However, the Alliance has called for the consultation, announced last night (Wed), to go beyond the Church of England.
Dr Don Horrocks, Head of Public Affairs at the Evangelical Alliance said, "Evidence shows that the UK is far from being a secular state. Religious belief continues to be a principal source of social values, and many people think that the law on blasphemy does much more than afford outdated legal protection - that it actually enshrines many of the values that help bind our society together and represents a valuable heritage which contributes significantly to our national identity.
"When Parliament prioritises the abolition of legislation it is not a neutral act. It sends out a signal to society about what values it considers to be important. In this case the message suggests that there is no longer a place for respect for the sacred in society. Even though it is widely accepted that the blasphemy laws are unlikely ever to be used again, their abolition should not consequently send out a signal that gratuitous abuse and offence are therefore now acceptable."
He continued: "We should be clear that we are not talking about restriction of free speech, the right to critique, caricature or parody religion. Nor does God need legal protection. We are talking about the reasonable prevention, for the good of society as a whole, of extreme gratuitous reviling and abuse - not of beliefs - but of people, and in particular sacred personalities in the form of religious leaders such as Jesus and Mohammed, who have special personal and relational sanctity for millions of believers.
"For this reason, and others, it is important that the Government consults with faith groups widely - not just with the Church of England - to explore how such very real concerns, which are manifestly not covered by parallel legislation on incitement to religious hatred, might be protected in relevant and effective up to date law. It is an opportunity for society to highlight the values that it considers important - including self-restraint and respect."
Notes to editors:
The Evangelical Alliance, formed in 1846, is the largest body serving evangelical Christians in the UK, and has a membership including denominations, churches, organisations and individuals. The mission of the Evangelical Alliance is to unite evangelicals to present Christ credibly as good news for spiritual and social transformation. According to a Tearfund survey (Churchgoing in the UK, 2007), there are approximately 2 million evangelical Christians in the UK.
For more information, go to www.eauk.org.
