The Christian Institute, based in Newcastle Upon Tyne, and The Rt. Hon. The Baroness Young have today (July 10 2000) launched a massive direct-mail campaign targetting clergy entitled ‘Ditch the Directive’ aimed at lobbying the Government to veto the new European Directive on Employment.A letter from Baroness Young, sent to clergy throughout the country, is accompanied by literature from The Christian Institute which claims that under the new directive, churches and other religious groups throughout the country will be forced to employ, among others, practising homosexuals.
The Christian Institute claims that this Directive will “over-ride the freedom of religion” and “undermine the freedom of association of religious people.” These phrases are no more than an attempt to continue unjust, homophobic and discriminatory practices under the guise of their own “freedoms”. The document fails even to recognise that gay men and lesbians are already present and faithful members of the church at all levels.
Within the literature is a quote from a legal opinion by John Bowers QC which equates the employment of ‘practicing homosexuals’ with “neo Nazis.” LGCM deplores such comparisons, especially in the light of the recent bombings in Brixton, Brick Lane and Soho and hopes that all reasonable people will understand that this literature is no more than a piece of cynical propaganda.
The Christian Institute’s obsession with sex and sexuality permeates their literature and whilst mention is made of atheists and members of other faiths applying for posts within Christian institutions the literature comes back time and time again to “practicing homosexuals”. They go so far as to welcome anti-discrimatory practice on the grounds of age, ethnicity and disability but discrimination on the grounds of sexuality is, they say, “quite another matter.” In fact, ageism, sexism, racism and all other forms of discrimination operate in the same way and come from the same source – fear.
The Rev’d Richard Kirker, General Secretary of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM) said today, “The Christian Institute is running scared. It is afraid that an outside body is finally going to enforce the justice and basic human rights that they and other Christians have so far managed to deny to lesbians and gay men.”
“The Christian Institute is exhibiting an extreme aversion to homosexuality – there is no better definition of homophobia. Their views are based on a puritanical, fearful and simplistic interpretation of the Gospel. Their political methods are taken directly from far-right Christian organisations in the USA. It is to be hoped that people in this country will not want to see the religious right here gain the same influence as in North America.”
“We believe that God created and loves all people and that a denial of a persons’ God given humanity, expressed as much in their loving relationships as in any other way, is a blasphemy and a denial of the Gospel.”
ENDS.
