Memorandum submitted by Emmanuel Oladipo (CJ&I 51)

 

 

FAO: Public Bill Committee - Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill

 

13 October 2007

 

Dear Members of the Committee,

 

I am writing to express my deep concern about the proposed amendment to the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill, which would make it a criminal offence to 'incite hatred on the grounds of sexuality'.

 

Following the teachings of Jesus Christ as best I can as a committed Christian, I most certainly do not hate homosexuals and will never incite anyone to hate them. I am afraid that this law, however, will criminalise me because I believe and will not hesitate to proclaim that the Bible teaches that sexual practice should be confined to married spouses of the opposite sex.

 

My experience in recent years is that the views like mine, even though they follow mainline, historical Christian teaching, are regarded as unacceptable in modern Britain. This amendment will bring the day closer when people like me will go to prison in this country because we choose to abide by our Christian consciences rather than agree with what is politically correct.

 

It is a matter of record that people who have expressed my type of opinion have been reported to the police, subjected to harrowing interviews and even prosecuted for doing so.

 

Laws already exist to protect people from malicious words or action. To bring in this amendment to the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill will merely target people who do not believe that homosexual practice is right and who dare to speak their mind. 

 

October 2007