Information Pack on Mass Lobby (Sexual Orientation Regulations) to be held at House of Commons onWednesday July 19th 1.00p.m. LEADERS PLS BE THERE
- Meet at 1.00p.m. on College Green next to Old Palace Yard (where we have rallied before). Please do not be late as the press and politicians will be waiting for us.
- At 1.30pm there will be a media photo call on College Green. (If you are not there on time you will miss the opportunity to be part of it)
- At 2pm we will enter the House of Commons through St Stephen’s entrance. We will go through security and into Central Lobby. At Central Lobby we will each speak to the House of Commons Staff. We will then take part in the ‘Green Card System’ as follows:-
- We will ask to see the MP for where we live. (If you do not know his/her name please ask one of the organisers)
- The House of Commons Staff will then ask you to fill out a card with your name, address and reason why you are there. The reason is:- ‘The Government’s proposed Sexual Orientation Regulations will discriminate against Christians’
- The House of Commons Staff will then call your MP to come and see you.
Please be aware that many of the Politicians know very little about the Sexual Orientation Regulations and what it means. So please read the attached Briefing Sheet and give a copy to your MP. Please also be aware that the Government will be giving assurances that Christians will not be discriminated against. These assurances mean nothing unless Christians are given wholesale exemptions regarding every aspect of their life (not just exemptions that relate to Church Services).
The Government Consultation on the Sexual Orientation Regulations closed on June5. The Government intend to lay the Regulations before Parliament by way of Affirmative Resolution in October. This is an unusual procedure and means the Regulations will not be debated and voted on as a Bill would be. This is why we must put maximum pressure on MPs now.
The Regulations will make it unlawful to discriminate against any person in the provision of any good or service (both public and private) on the grounds of their sexual orientation. Because the Regulations do not distinguish between a person’s sexual orientation and the practice of that orientation they will not allow Christians lawfully to object on the bases of their conscience and belief.
Please remember to show the love of Christ in all you do. This is not a sexual orientation issue (we love everyone no matter what their sexual orientation is) but an issue of the freedom of all churches to continue to live out the truth of the scriptures.
BRIEFING SHEET re: The Sexual Orientation Regulations 2006
1) The Sexual Orientation Regulations (SORs) are a complete affront to our freedom to be Christians.
- Many black British Christians came to this country because they wanted the freedom to live as Christians in a democratic country, without fear of persecution.
- The SORs are just one more step by the Government which takes away that freedom.
- The SORs make it illegal to discriminate between homosexuals and heterosexuals, but the Bible teaches, and has always taught, that homosexuality and heterosexuality are NOT equal.
- As Christians we are called to display the love and compassion of Christ to everyone yet not to condone actions which are contrary to scripture. We love everyone regardless of their sexuality but we reserve the right to withhold a service to any individual or group just as the Labour party would refuse a conservative party member the right to stand as a Labour candidate
2) The SORs amount to REVERSE discrimination against Christians
- With these SORs, the Government are using the ideas of ‘equality’ and ‘anti-discrimination’ to trample over our right to religious freedom.
- We call on the government to stop pandering to whichever minority group makes the most noise and begin listening to the 72% of the population who call themselves Christians. 42million Christians are being discriminated against. It is Christianophobia!
3) The problems caused by the SORs are not just theoretical, they are REAL
- We are worried for our children. The SORs will make it impossible for us to bring them up by teaching them the values in the Bible: it will be illegal to teach in Sunday school that homosexuality is wrong; it will be illegal for schools to teach that marriage is better than civil partnerships. Our children and our society need to be taught Christian values: that we should be respectful to our elders; that we should respect those in authority; that we should love our neighbour as ourselves; that sex is for marriage between a man and a woman.
- We are worried for our Church services. The Bible teaches that weddings can only be for a man and a woman but the SORs will force us to accept Civil Partnership services (gay marriage) in our churches.
4) The problems caused by the SORs are not just about things that go on in church, they are about EVERY AREA OF LIFE
- Some people in my congregation are builders, and if they were asked by a homosexual to build an extension to his gay bar, they would have to say ‘brother, I love you in Christ, but I cannot help you encourage other people to be homosexuals by extending your gay bar’.
- Some people in my congregation work in advertising and printing, and if a homosexual asked them to design or print some posters which advertise a meeting encouraging people to experiment with homosexuality, they would have to say ‘brother, I love you in Christ, but I cannot help you encourage people to become homosexual by printing your posters’.
- These cases don’t relate to church services, they are about everyday life. If the SORs force me or my congregation to provide services to homosexuals, they will force me to deny my Christianity. At the moment this is exactly what the SORs do.
5) We want the government to provide exceptions to the SORs for all those who have a genuine religious belief that homosexuality is wrong
- The Government must add an exception to the SORs that Christians (and members of other faiths which believe that homosexuality is wrong) will not be breaking the law if they refuse to provide goods and services to people of different sexual orientations, if they do it because of their religious views.
- If the Government don’t do this, they will be making it illegal for us to be Christians.