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UK: Christians urged to sign petition over 'gagging of free speech' on biblical view of sexual conduct and marriage'
The Christian Legal Centre
News Release
June 15, 2009
Christians urged to urgently sign petition over 'gagging of free speech' on biblical view of sexual conduct and marriage'
CHRISTIANS across the UK have been urged to sign a petition calling on the Prime Minister to abandon plans to prevent Christians from openly explaining what they believe the Bible says about sexual conduct.
The Christian Legal Centre, which has represented many Christians in high profile cases where employers have denied Christians the right of freedom of speech on moral issues, has placed a Petition on its website (www.ccfon.org/petition.php) for individuals to sign on-line, or download and encourage fellow church members to sign up to before posting on to CCFON, which will hand collated petitions to the Queen, Prime Minister and Leader of the House of Lords. CCFON believes there will be "devastating consequences" to Christian witness if the Coroners and Justice Bill goes through Parliament as it stands.
Andrea Minichiello Williams, barrister and founder of the CLC says few Christian leaders or individuals realize that buried deep within the Bill is a clause which could prevent any Christian openly stating what the Bible says, and Christians have believed for 2,000 years, about issues such as homosexual conduct or even marriage.
She said: "No-one would imagine that a Bill to do with Coroners could contain anything about free speech and with all the media attention on MP expenses, this vital issue is going unreported by the media. If it got through as it stands, it would have devastating consequences for Christian witness and integrity in the UK. Church leaders and individuals Christians answering questions about their faith could well find themselves the subject of a police investigation and arrest just for speaking and living according to the Bible's teaching on sexuality and marriage."
Members of the House of Lords are likely to debate the clause on 23rd June (unless date gets pushed back due to pressures of parliamentary timetable), and Mrs Williams urges Christians across all denominations to log on to www.ccfon.org/petition.php and act immediately.
The petition reads: "Preserving the sanctity of life and freedom of speech are vitally important to the preservation of liberty and good governance under the rule of law in the United Kingdom. These are under immediate threat by measures in the Coroners and Justice Bill. We the undersigned, therefore, petition HM the Queen, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the House of Lords to:
1) Protect the value of human life in the UK by opposing proposed amendments authorizing state-sanctioned assisted suicide; and 2) Protect freedom of speech by abandoning its opposition to the free speech protection clause currently within the sexual orientation hatred offence which preserves the right to, discuss, criticise and urge to refrain from certain forms of sexual conduct or practices."
CCFON is also co-ordinating a Prayer Meeting on June 22, 6.30 -9pm at Emmanuel Centre, 9 -23 Marsham Street, Westminster, London SW1P 3DW, where Christians are invited to attend and bring their friends with them.
For more information about the Bill and how it could affect Christian witness, visit www.ccfon.org
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