Posted on January 31, 2007 - by Calvin L. Smith

It’s Make or Break… Time To Do Our Bit

In the forthcoming edition of the Evangelical Review of Society and Politics I trace how, after many years of being relegated to the private sphere, religion is once again becoming an important player on the political stage (”The De-Privatisation of Faith and Evangelicals in the Public Square” ERSP 1 no. 1, 2007. For details and to subscribe to this academic journal, visit www.evangelicalreview.com). Meanwhile, my last blog entry explored how postmodernity has created a marketplace of ideas that Christians can exploit, while at the same time threatening the privileged position of Christianity’s true enemy, which is modernity (this is also discussed in the journal article). Secular liberal elites, however, are refusing to play by the rules. Where they cannot win an argument, they arrogantly choose to drown out competing voices by appealing to their own higher authority and new morality. Thus, these elites are really products of an absolutist and arrogant modernity which merely exploits postmodernism’s marketplace of ideas when it suits their purposes, but which resorts to bullying and cowing its opponents into submission when they are unable to win the argument.

Such is the case concerning the soon-to-be-implemented Sexual Orientation Regulations (SORs). The issue is not gay adoption (homosexual couples have been able to adopt for years). Rather, SORs goes one step further, namely, that Christians will no longer be able to appeal to conscience and personal belief when it comes to certain issues. Thus, Christian teachers may be forced, for example, to teach homosexual union is as valid as heterosexual marriage. Last week the papers reported extensively on a Christian Magistrate whose beliefs led him to request exemption from hearing certain cases. He was dismissed. So let us be very clear here. SORs will place the new morality over an individual Christian’s conscience and beliefs. Liberal elites have created a situation where the rights of a minority representing between 2-5% of the population take complete precedence over the conscience of a larger population. In short, the issue has moved beyond equality to one where the rest of us are not only forced to lump the new morality, but we must also like it.

A massive row has erupted concerning Catholic adoption agencies. The Catholic Church has threatened to close its agencies unless they receive a special exmeption from SORs. “Why must we be forced to place children with gay couples if this is against our values and beliefs,” they say. But SORs will not only affect Catholic adoption agencies. They will have all manner of ramifications for Christians throughout this land. For details, visit the . The Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship or Christian Concern for Our Nation websites. 

This week the Prime Minister (who claims to be a committed Christian) caved in to the will of his Cabinet and refused to grant Catholic adoption agencies an exemption, other than extra time to prepare for the new laws. Moreover, the various noises coming from Cabinet members makes abundantly clear this is an ideological issue for them, where secular liberal elites are determined to foist their will upon Christians of a different persuasion. Not only that, but there is a concerted attempt to relegate once again religion to the private sphere. Last week, Home Secretary John Reid, himself a Catholic, quoted John F. Kennedy and said faith should remain a private issue that must in no way interfere in the work of a public servant. Religion, especially Christianity, has been most vocal in the UK in the past two years, and perhaps this is a desperate attempt to nip de-privatised faith in the bud. But I suspect it is too late. Pandora’s box is slowly opening and we may see religion play a much greater role in political affairs in the future. (There is certainly a debate concerning this issue, as two opposing viewpoints here and here demonstrate).

The government will not give in on this issue. This is a principle of conscience (funny how their conscience is protected) and the battle lines have been drawn. Blair has decided to make this an all-or-nothing issue which will be voted on by Parliament shortly. There will be no further exemptions, proposed modifications, or changes. MPs will face a stark choice, an all-or-nothing vote: take it or leave it. This is an ideological stance, one which does not want the regulations watered down at all. For these liberal elites it is a point of principle, a conscience issue (the very thing they are seeking to deny the rest of us). Well, good! An all-or-nothing vote is great. The Catholics are preparing for battle, but an all-or-nothing vote in Parliament means that if we lobby, we will not be fighting for a Catholic exemption, but rather the rejection of SORs completely.

The question all Christians must ask themselves is this: Are we going to make an effort, do the work and make our voices heard? More than ever, Christians in the past two years have successfully ventured into the public square (Jerry Springer, B.A. cross row etc). It is time to so again. It is make or break, and time to do our bit. Otherwise, if the battle is lost without us doing anything about it, how will we be able to look at ourselves in the mirror in the future, when our children are the ones whose Christian conscience has been silenced for good? Listen, we can make a difference. Years ago the college lobbied hard concerning the repeal of Section 28, and was even mentioned in questions in the House of Commons. That campaign by Christians across the land was highly successful and the policy quietly dropped. (The government only succeeded years later through a back-door policy with collusion from a weakened Conservative party). Here is what I would urge all readers in the UK to do: -

1. Visit the two websites above and see what they suggest you should do. They are experts in this field and have followed the SORs issue carefully. (I am grateful to MBC student Keith Waters who has been much exercised by this issue and has kept me up-to-date with events and the work of these two organisations).

2. Next, write to your local MP (find your constituency MP here). Rather than making a stand against gay adoption, focus on SORs in general and how this will prohibit you from following your deeply-held Christian beliefs and convictions. Make sure you letter is not seen as a request for Catholic adoption agency exemptions, but rather the rejection of SORs completely. Be courteous but firm, explaining who you will simply be unable to vote in the future for any MP who supports the SORs legislations. They need to know government has no right whatsoever to tell us what we are permitted to believe. This is the only power we have over our MPs, so let’s exploit it. After all, they are supposed to be public servants who represent their constituents.

3. Write to Cabinet Ministers. I would suggest Tony Blair, the Chancellor Gordon Brown (who will shortly take over as Prime Minister), and Alan Johnson (who is responsible for this issue). I would also suggest letters to the main supporters of SORs on a point of priincipal (Harriet Harman, Alan Johnson, John Reid and Peter Hain). They need to know others don’t take their view and that government has no right to dictate principles of conscience. Explain if these regulations go through you will not be able to vote for Labour ever again.

4. Get your spouse, friends and family to do likewise. Two letters from an address is better than one. Also encourage your church to prepare a petition and get it sent to the government before the vote takes place.

5. Also email the Labour Party, MPs, government departments, and so on. This should NOT be instead of sending letters by post (each written letter is worth a hundred `phone calls or ten emails).But it all adds to the sense urgency Christians need to create.

In short, the aim is an explosion of correspondence which makes MPs panic and think twice about supporting SORs, as well as making this government see their arrogance has really raised hackles. If you manage to get two or three other Christians to do as you have done, MPs and Ministers will be swamped. This is one valuable lesson we can learn from the gay lobby, where just 2-5% of the population has so successfully changed the perceptions and laws of this land (despite the fact that it is regularly suggested their views are not widely held in the UK).

Together with Catholic and Anglican lobbying, all this will certainly make some politicians sit up and think twice. We must not let politicians think that religion can be squeezed back into the private sphere. Christian values must be in their mind when they make decisions.

One last thing. On the college website (www.midbible.ac.uk) we ran a poll last term asking for your views on what Blair’s premiership had meant for British Christianity. We have decided to extend this poll for a little longer and we would encourage as many British Christians as possible to express their view. Blair has played the committed-Christian card a great deal over the years, but many of his policies have been most un-Christian and an unmitigated disaster for British Christianity. Before he leaves office, it would be good for us to send him the results of the poll. As such, the more votes we receive the better. So please take the time to  respond (one vote per person), and get others to do so likewise.

Also read Melanie Phillips’ excellent comment on this issue.

© Calvin L. Smith 2007.