Christian Institute welcomes Conversion Therapy letter from Equalities Minister

Source: Christian Institute

Welcoming a letter sent on 18 January by the UK Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch to MPs - pledging to ensure the Government's proposed ban on so-called conversion therapy does not criminalise parents, teachers and church leaders who uphold the Bible's teaching on gender and sexual ethics - Simon Calvert, Deputy Director of The Christian Institute, said:

This letter confirms what we've been saying for years. Banning conversion therapy is an absolute minefield, primarily because no-one knows what it is. Activists used to say they wanted to outlaw brutal abuse like electro-shock therapy. But that's already illegal. Now they're admitting what they really want is to outlaw traditional theology and gender critical feminism.

They are profoundly intolerant. They don't like the idea of churches praying prayers they don't agree with. They don't like women's activists and parents discouraging young people from rushing into gender transition. So, they are weaponising the language of 'safeguarding' to try to bounce Parliament into outlawing the opinions of their theological and philosophical opponents. This is not what the criminal law is for.

Our solicitors wrote to the Westminster government preparing the ground for judicial review in May 2021. If Parliament passes a law that tramples on basic freedoms of speech and religion we are ready to go to court to protect the fundamental right of parents and pastors to calmly explain their ethical beliefs without being prosecuted as abusers.

On 16 January Scotland's Catholic bishops accused the Scottish Government of an -"ideological totalitarianism" that will criminalise mainstream religion and parental guidance to children. The unprecedented criticism comes in response to the publication of the Scottish Government's 'expert' advisory group with plans to change the law to ban "conversion therapy" for gay and bisexual people. The bishops said that, if accepted, legal counsel has warned that the recommended change, "would outlaw pastoral care, prayer, parental guidance and advice relating to sexual orientation, expression of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, other than that which is deemed by the state to constitute "affirmative care".

For more details of the Christian Institute's legal challenges to proposed conversion therapy bans around the UK: www.christian.org.uk/campaign/broad-conversion-therapy-ban/