Should they just become Muslims?!

According to a report in The Daily Telegraph, this week, two registrars in Lambeth, south London, are being investigated after allegedly refusing to conduct same-gender partnership ceremonies because they went against their religious beliefs. Apparently, the two persons - whose identities have not been revealed - made informal shift-changing arrangements with colleagues in order to avoid having to act against their own consciences.

However, according to the report, one of their colleagues mentioned this at a seminar (it doesn't tell if the mention was a complaint, or just an 'off-hand' comment!) where it was picked up by Brian Palmer, a member of the Labour council’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender forum who was at the seminar and who then complained to the borough’s chief executive, who ordered the investigation.

This investigation follows the case of Lillian Ladele, a registrar at Islington in north London who refused to conduct civil partnership ceremonies because they were against her Christian beliefs. The Court of Appeal ruled in December that her refusal breached equality laws, ending a four-year legal battle in which she claimed she had suffered discrimination. Ms Ladele had initially tried to change her rotas but homosexual colleagues complained and she was disciplined by her employers. She later resigned.

Some, of course, will ask, "So what? Is this not a bit of a 'storm in a teacup'?" However, what concerns a growing number of people in the UK is that this is a form of discrimination that is moving towards mild (!) persecution. It would appear that not only are the consciences of a vast number in public life already seared to the point of impotency, but that those same people want to have no-one act in accordance with their conscience! In these cases, I would have thought that the introduction of civil partnerships constituted a change in working practice and conditions that should have, automatically, ensured that no-one was obliged to accept - especially when, as it would seem, others were quite willing to attend to the matters involved.

I always find it interesting that, in today's U.K. it is always the vocal minority who are supposed to be discriminated against, never the (even nominally) Christian majority! It does make me wonder if these registrars should perhaps claim that they are Muslims, to see what the council would then do!!!! In the meantime, let those of us who are disciples of Jesus uphold these two people in prayer (Father God knows their identities!); and remember to pray for those who know persecution at a much deeper level - those who suffer imprisonment, torture, and even death, for the sake of Jesus; those who can say, with Paul, "... I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus." (Gal 6:17; NLT)

Belief, and behaviour.

Not for the first time, the BBC Today programme raises an interesting question. In this morning’s programme, there was a discussion in which Andrea Williams (Christian Legal Centre), and Dinah Rose (Barrister, specialising in Human Rights Law) took part – a discussion that centred around the right of Christians to act, in certain situations, in accord with their beliefs and conscience. The cases referred to were those of Gary McFarlane - sacked for refusing to give psychosexual counselling to homosexual couples; and Lillian Ladele - a registrar who refused to conduct civil partnerships ceremonies, because they were against her Christian beliefs, and who has been told that she may no longer work as a registrar.

It was a comment by Dinah Rose, that “… there is a difference [there] between what people believe and the way that they behave.” that really got my attention. Because this is a statement that is diametrically opposed to the teaching of the Bible and, I would suggest, to our everyday experience of life!

The Letter of James is, arguably, the clearest teaching on the link between belief and behaviour. Indeed, one of the little commentaries on the text, that is on my bookshelves, is entitled Belief that Behaves (Guy H. King; 1941, Marshall, Morgan & Scott, London). In what we know as chapter 2 and verse 14 (although, of course, James didn’t write in chapters and verses any more than you or I would do!) he asks the question: “Dear brothers and sisters, what's the use of saying you have faith if you don't prove it by your actions?” My actions, or inactions, are always directly dictated by my beliefs. I don’t try to emulate the character Superman by attempting to stop a runaway train with my hand because I believe that I am physically incapable of doing so. I do provide some financial support for various Christian ministries and organisations because I believe that it is my duty, as a disciple of Jesus, to do so. The examples could keep me going for a very long time.

Of course, that is part of the problem with our contemporary culture, here in the U.K (and, it would seem, in other parts of the world as well!). Those who are most vociferous in their demands for “equality” get their way. Those who “For the Lord's sake, accept all authority – the king as head of state, and the officials he has appointed.” (I Peter 2:13-13) are taken advantage of at every turn.

This is, surely, another reason for believers, in this run-up to the U.K. General Election, to be praying that the Lord would use this opportunity in which so many members are not seeking re-election, to raise up an army of men and women who will genuinely aspire to the foundational “Seven Principles of Public Life: Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty, and Leadership.” (The Committee on Standards in Public Life), and turn this nation around, that we might walk “… in the paths of righteousness, for His Name’s sake” (Ps.23:3).