Original letter to the Daily Telegraph from various church leaders
13 October 2006
Dear Sir,
Philip Johnston's article on the Sexual Orientation Regulations (Comment, October 2) makes a perceptive point. Irrespective of sexual orientation or religious viewpoint, the Government should not have the power to force people to act against their conscience, provided they do not infringe the legitimate rights of others or the laws and customs of the country. The current proposals for the regulations would infringe the right of Christians and Jews to act in accordance with the doctrinal teaching of their respective faiths, which says that the practice of sex outside heterosexual marriage is wrong. Further, to allow the executive to use secondary legislation, not subject to full parliamentary scrutiny, to pass such a law is dangerous. Who will be next in finding that their morals, beliefs or lifestyle, are no longer acceptable to the Government?
The Government announced last week that there would be a six-month delay in implementing the regulations: we hope that this is recognition that, in their current form, the proposals are unworkable. The Government and the Women and Equality Unit of the DTI (the originators of the law) must ensure that the regulations protect the basic right to freedom of conscience.We do not think that anyone who reflects carefully on the SORs could oppose a suggested amendment to them that states: "Nothing in these regulations will force anyone to promote, facilitate, encourage or assist the practice of a sexual orientation in a manner which is contrary to the strongly held religious convictions of the person. ''
We hope the Government will agree and act accordingly.
John Scriven
Chairman, Lawyers' Christian Fellowship
The Venerable Michael Lawson Archdeacon of Hampstead
Dr Philip Giddings
Vice-Chairman of House of Laity of General Synod
Yaqub Masih
Secretary General, UK Asian Christians
Colin Dye
Senior Minister, Kensington Temple
Reverend John Noble
Chairman of the National Charismatic Leaders Conference
Note: The Alliance's Director of Public Policy has responded to this letter. Visit this letter in the see also section to your left.
Media Contact:
Bill Shaw
Evangelical Alliance
020 7207 2115
b.shaw@eauk.org
Notes to editors:
The Evangelical Alliance UK, formed in 1846, is an umbrella group representing over one million evangelical Christians in the UK and is made up of member churches, organisations and individuals. As part of a movement ‘uniting to change society’, the Alliance promotes unity and truth, acts as an evangelical voice to the state, society and the wider Church, and provides resources to help members and other evangelicals live out their faith in their communities.
