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The Lawyers’
Christian
Fellowship
Founded:
1852 | Patron:
The
Rt Hon Lord Mackay of Clashfern
President:
The Hon Mr Justice Hedley
Press Release
7/2/07
Issued by the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship
Press Release
GOVERNMENT PUBLISH LANDMARK INTOLERANT LEGISLATION
SETTING GROUND FOR CLASH OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS
After spending 9 months drafting the proposed SEXUAL ORIENTATION
REGULATIONS (SORs), the Government have today published the
final version of the new law without making any significant
concessions to protect the rights of Christians and others with
deeply held religious beliefs.
The SORs can be found at http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/draft/20075920.htm.
The Regulations, which make discrimination on the grounds of sexual
orientation unlawful in relation to the provision of goods,
services, premises, education and public functions, are due to
come into force on the 30th April 2007.
Under the Regulations it will be illegal for a Christian printer to
refuse to print material promoting homosexual sex, it will be
illegal for a Muslim website designer to refuse to build a
website for homosexual dating, and it will be illegal for a
Jewish conference centre to refuse to accept a booking from a
Gay and Lesbian society who wish to hold a meeting promoting
homosexual practices.
Thomas Cordrey, Barrister and Public Policy Analyst at the Lawyers’
Christian Fellowship, commented:
“This legislation is unprecedented in its complete intolerance of
those who have religious beliefs. The Government did not put
forward a single piece of evidence to justify the need for the
Regulations, they have ignored 72% of the public
who opposed their approach to this law, and they have ignored
the majority of the 3000 responses to their consultation.
Despite this weak basis to the law, the Government is prepared
to take the landmark step of making it illegal for Christians to
hold to the Bible’s clear teaching that God loves everyone and
wants all people to know him, but also, that extra-marital
sexual conduct (whether homosexual or heterosexual) is wrong.”
“To think that the Government would prefer to shut down the
widespread and compassionate voluntary services provided by
Christian adoption agencies, drug rehabilitation centres,
homeless shelters and community centres, rather than accept that
Christians should not be forced to promote homosexual practices,
is astounding.”
Andrea Williams, Public Policy Officer at the Lawyers’ Christian
Fellowship commented:
“Whilst Christian groups have been clear from the outset that they
would not in any way wish to deny the provision of basic goods
and services to homosexuals, the Government have refused all
calls that the Regulations should contain a simple clause that
“no-one should be forced by this law to promote or actively
condone any sexual practices which are contrary to their deeply
held religious belief.”
“Rather than balancing rights the Government have chosen to draft
these Regulations so that in almost every case the right to live
a homosexual lifestyle trumps the right to live a religious
lifestyle.”
“Every concern held by the Church of England and Catholic Church on
the issue of gay adoption is magnified by the publication of
these Regulations. The new morality being imposed by the
Government on the British people has just taken a giant leap
forward.”
Andrea Minichiello Williams, Public Policy Officer,
e-mail: andrea@williamsa.force9.co.uk
phone: 07712 591164
www.lawcf.org
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