Submission from Bradley Evangelical Church
1. Should existing religious offences
(notably blasphemy) be amended or abolished?
No. We will not accept that the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ and that of the Lord God Almighty may be used
as a curse without recourse. People are already using them far
too often in public with apparent impunity. Instead the blasphemy
laws should be enforced more rigidly. "Thou shalt not
take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord shall not
hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain". Other
religious leaders would not have us curse using Oh Buddha or Oh
Mohammed so why should God allow his name to be used to curse.
2. Should a new offence of incitement
to religious hatred be created and, if so, how should the offence
be defined?
No, we are not prepared to have our church services
disrupted by Anti Christian Militant agitators. I believe it is
our democratic right to religious gatherings without let or hindrance.
Too long the people of Britain have allowed the Christian belief
to be pushed to the side in favour of secular things. "You
have turned my temple into a den of iniquity".
(Quotes are from the Holy Bible)
This country has been built on the Christian
belief, we are told that this is a Christian country still. We
see on television Peers and Ministers entering Churches for services
of Thanksgiving for the longevity of our Queen's Reign. Unless
such people as Baroness Thatcher, Sir David Steele, Tony Blair
and others are just making a show we should accept that the religious
protection of the law should remain.
8 July 2002
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