Sexual Orientation Regulations

On Tuesday 9th January 2007 the House of Lords will debate Lord Morrow’s motion to annul the Northern Ireland Sexual Orientation Regulations (SORs). This is an encouraging development. It’s no doubt the result of the prayerful response of Christians throughout the country. However, many of us may be unaware of the threat to our freedom that these regulations pose.

This short article is an attempt to explain the main issues. For those who wish to investigate the matter, further additional information can be found on the Christian Institute web site at www.christian.org.uk and the Lawyers Christian Fellowship at www.lawcf.org. But perhaps the most useful site is the Christian Concern for our Nation web site http://www.christianconcernforournation.co.uk/.

Background

In November 2006 the Daily Telegraph reported that ‘controversial new gay rights laws are being bulldozed through parliament despite protests from churches and other groups’ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/11/21/ngay21.xml.

The 2006 Equality Act gave the Government power to push through these new regulations. The new SORs will make ‘homophobic’ discrimination and harassment illegal in many aspects of life. But they threaten to curtail religious liberty. They’re set to cover: the provision of goods, facilities and services; the selling or letting of premises; education; and public authorities. In essence the SORs outlaw discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and harassment on the grounds of sexual orientation. At one level that sounds laudable. And the Government proposals are no doubt well intentioned. But those who drafted these regulations seem unaware of the consequences not only for Christians but also for many faith groups. In practice these regulations will prevent these groups from deciding to exercise their religious conviction to withhold support from activities they deem immoral. And so, in reality they could be used by

• An aggrieved pupil to sue a teacher who says in a lesson, or an assembly, that sex is only for marriage.

• A homosexual student who argues that a University has created an ‘offensive environment’ by permitting the ‘homophobic’ CU to advertise its meetings on campus.

• A gay couple to sue a Christian photographer if he/she refused to photograph their civil partnership.

Consider also the following situations

• If a Graphic Designer refused to produce fliers for a Gay Organisation who sought to promote the gay lifestyle, he could be prosecuted.

• If a Management Consultant refused to offer assistance to a Gay Organisation since he did not wish to be involved in endorsing that lifestyle, he too could be prosecuted.

• A Teacher could be sacked and fined if they refused to teach that practising homosexuality should be actively considered by children as an alternative and an equal to heterosexual marriage.

It is these sorts of situations that has prompted some to suggest that these regulations are a greater threat to religious freedom than the ill conceived [but ultimately defeated] Religious Hatred legislation.

The following four things are offered as a reason for our opposition to the SORs.

1. Christians ought to be allowed to uphold Christian morality

Yet the SORs make it illegal for Christians to choose not to condone actions which are contrary to the Bible. We must make clear that Christians are commanded to love our neighbours. There’s no exemption to the Lord’s commandment to do this. We must therefore love all people equally regardless of their sexual orientation. Christians would never want to be homophobic [fearing homosexual people] or discriminate against homosexuals out of bigotry or prejudice. However, Christians long to see all people respond to the gospel in repentance and faith. We do so because of our desire to love the Lord and all people. Therefore Christians should not endorse, promote or assist anyone in any lifestyle that is incompatible with Christian discipleship.

2. Christians ought to be allowed to live by the Bible

Yet the SORs discriminate against those who do so. The SORs give freedom to homosexuals to live according to their lifestyle but they take away the freedom of Christians to live by theirs. The Bible is clear that the only appropriate place for all sexual activity is a marriage between two people of the opposite gender. Consequently there will be times when Christians need to be free to discriminate against homosexuals in order to make it clear that we believe in the Bible’s teaching that homosexual practice is morally wrong. There are a huge number of people in this country who believe the Christian teaching on marriage and family is not an outdated or extreme belief. But these proposals make it illegal to hold these views.

3. Christians ought to be allowed to teach Christian values

Yet the SORs will seriously inhibit the freedom of Christians to raise children according to the values of the Bible. It would be illegal for a school to have a ‘bias’ on their curriculum in favour of heterosexual relationships since this would discriminate against any possible homosexual pupils or homosexual parents who wanted their child to be taught about the acceptability of homosexuality. The health of our nation depends upon the degree to which our children are taught Christian morality and the degree to which they conform in practice. The regulations threaten those who would teach Christian morality with a criminal record and a financial penalty.

4. Christians ought to be allowed to live a public faith

Yet the SORs provide exemption only for activities that occur in church. Consequently a Christian wanting to live consistently by the Bible in the public sphere is not protected from prosecution by these regulations. It is vitally important that Christians are as free to be Christians outside a church as inside it. But these regulations prevent that from being the case.

In the light of this it seems that the only sensible course of action is to add the following exemptions to the SORs. The Lawyers Christian Fellowship has suggested this exemption. `Nothing in these Regulations shall require a person to provide goods, facilities and services, education or to use or dispose of premises, where such provision of goods, facilities and services, education or such use or disposal of premises would 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.’ Not to add this exemption would be tantamount to making certain aspects of Christianity illegal.

What can we do?

1. We must pray about the situation. God answered our prayers about the proposed legislation for the Incitement to Religious hatred and He could choose to do so again.

2. We can represent our concerns to the Ministers in charge. Ruth Kelly and Meg Munn are the Ministers who will make the final decision.

3. We can meet our local MP and urge him or her to pass on our concerns to Meg Munn and Ruth Kelly.

4. We can sign the petitions at www.christianconcernforournation.co.uk/sorpetition.php and http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/NISexOrient/

5. We can join hundreds of fellow Christians at a rally outside Parliament being organised by the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship. Groups will be meeting in Old Palace Yard, opposite St Stephen’s entrance to the House of Commons. People have been requested to bring a torch! The Rally will take place from 5.30-8.00pm on 9th January 2007.