CHRIST'S RULE NOT SUBJECT TO ELECTIVE DICTATORSHIP

Christian thanksgiving for Lord Waddington's free speech victory yes, but euphoria no, for today's House of Commons is tomorrow's House of Lords.

As Tony Blair said about the Pope, it's a generational thing.

As ideological products of the secular permissiveness of the 1960s, MPs voted by a significant majority to place freedom of sexual expression above freedom of religious expression. Tom Robinson's anthem 'Sing if you're glad to be gay' is a weightier expression of their spiritual and moral outlook than 'God save the Queen' (as the National Anthem encourages us to pray for the Monarch).

Eventually the secular permissives are bound to win the argument.

That is unlikely to leave Christians in the UK facing the kind of persecution our brothers and sisters in Islamic and Hindu countries face daily. Future persecution in the UK is likely to be patchy for the following reasons:

· Some police forces will be more assiduous in following up complaints of 'homophobic abuse', or in the case of criticisms of Islam, 'Islamophobia' than others. This will depend on factors such as the prominence of the homosexual or Muslim community in particular regions and the effectiveness of diversity indoctrination from one force to another.

· Some local councils will be more assiduous than others in following up complaints against Christians. Again that will depend on a variety of subjective factors in the minds of councillors and officials. Some will be more committed to the liberal British tradition of free speech than others; some more sympathetic to Judeo-Christian values. But a significant proportion will be committed political-correct ideologues who will be vigorous in rooting out the various manifestations of sin against PC.

· Unless there is a major political and social upheaval, a free press is likely to remain a feature of British society for some years to come. That means heavy-handed behaviour, such as the police investigation of the 67-year-old grandmother in Norwich, can therefore be put into the public domain. Media exposure can thus act as a deterrent.

So, whilst euphoria is not warranted following the Lords' victory, neither is paranoia about the future. Christ's sovereignty is not subject to elective dictatorship.

As the Apostle Peter exhorted his Christian readers facing persecution:

The end of all things is at hand; therefore keep sane and sober for your prayers (1 Peter 4v7 - RSV).

HYMNS FOR PERMISSIVE WORSHIP

The permissive society is very relaxed about drug abuse, encourages disregard for parental authority, and has a principled commitment to sexual promiscuity. But it is not very relaxed about Christians who criticise the permissive society.

How else does one explain the fact that a generation of politicians who grew up in the permissive society have just voted to remove a free speech safeguard which protects Christians' freedom to comment on sexual ethics?

As Christian Concern for our Nation reports:

At the beginning of this week, the House of Commons voted by a majority of 197 to remove Lord Waddington’s free speech safeguard. Lord Waddington’s clause is a just and reasonable one, which protects Christians’ freedom to comment on sexual ethics.

Without this protection, Christians are more likely to be investigated by the police for “inciting hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation” if they state the Biblical position on homosexual practice. Police investigation is very frightening and intimidating, particularly as the maximum penalty for this offence, when in force, would be imprisonment of up to 7 years.

The Bill is back for debate and vote today (11th November) in the House of Lords and may return tomorrow.

The recent case of a 67 year-old Christian grandmother subjected to a police investigation after she wrote to her Council objecting to a parade promoting homosexuality, demonstrates the need for clarity on the face of the law in this area.

The moral priorities of the permissive society are hardly surprising when you consider its hymnody. The following lyrics for permissive singing in public worhip were penned in the 1960s:

Smoke pot, smoke pot, everybody smoke pot' (The Beatles - I am the Walrus).

Come mothers and fathers Throughout the land And don't criticize what you don't understand Your sons and daughters are beyond your command (Bob Dylan - The Times They are A-Changin').

I met a gin soaked, bar-room queen in Memphis, She tried to take me upstairs for a ride. She had to heave me right across her shoulder 'Cause I just can't seem to drink you off my mind (The Rolling Stones - Honky Tonk Woman).

Before these hymns were written and used in public worship, Britain was a low-crime society. In the mid-1950s, around 11,000 violent crimes against the person were recorded annually. Currently in the Naughties, violent crimes against the person are annually over 1 million.

Christians over Advent will be singing this in their public worship:

Every eye shall now behold him Robed in Dreadful Majesty; Those who set at naught and sold him, Pierced and nailed him to the Tree, deeply wailing, shall the True Messiah see (Charles Wesley - Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending).

But for how much longer will the permissives-in-charge allow us to sing it?

THE VALUE OF A 9 TILL 6 FOR POTENTIAL MINISTERS

Cranmer's Curate has written an open letter to his old friend Vaughan Roberts, Rector of St Ebbe's in Oxford, and chairman of the 9:38 network, which runs conferences for those considering full-time Christian ministry. It may be of interest to the youth group:

Dear Vaughan, Letters that begin with a commendation of me or my ministry always fill me with foreboding for what is coming next. But I am an unashamed fan of the 9:38 network and its conferences for those considering full-time ministry. The two young men who have served here in Oughtibridge as youth volunteers have hugely benefited from your conferences and input. And besides this is not a critical letter but one wanting to explore a particular issue facing those whom we are wanting to encourage into full-time Christian ministry. Because it is exploratory rather than prescriptive, it is taking the form of an open letter.

It relates to the value of secular work prior to going forward for full-time ministry. One perspective on this that appears to be strongly stressed in Sydney Diocese and in its ministry training strategy, and appears to have gained some currency here, is that the determinative factor is the Bible’s teaching on work, not our experience of it. Therefore, an individual does not need to have had experience of the secular workplace in order to be able to teach on it.

It is helpful to be reminded that as disciples of Christ we need to uphold biblical truths that will be outside and beyond our individual experience and indeed hold on to biblical promises even and especially when our experience seems to deny them. But this perspective as a 'one-liner' to a young potential minister carries the danger of foreclosing an issue that ought to be properly explored.

The value of secular work experience before going forward for full-time ministry in Christ’s service would seem to include the following:

· It does provide experience of working in a non-Christian environment where you have to relate to non-Christian bosses and colleagues. That is the situation most working Christians find themselves in. Whilst there are particular pressures for us in ministry, we are to a large degree cocooned from the pressures of the contemporary workplace. Surely some experience of that is hugely helpful for ministry.

· Experience of combining secular work with church volunteerism is surely also very helpful. Having to commute, work and do Christian service on top of that is something many whom we serve in our congregations experience week in, week out. Whilst large churches can rely on staff teams that are funded by working members of the congregation, smaller churches serving local communities do rely overwhelmingly on volunteers. If a minister understands the experience of being a church volunteer, then surely it helps them to be more sensitive and understanding of the pressures on Christian people in our congregations.

· A more realistic approach in poorer countries where the Sydney strategy of encouraging the best university graduates into full-time ministry in order to plant churches may be being applied. Many university graduates in South Africa for example have families reliant on their financial support, which would not generally be the case in more affluent countries where stipendiary ministry can more easily be sustained.

Certainly, the idea that one size fits all and that all ministers have to have done a substantial stint of secular work should be repudiated. There are very effective ministers, who are good leaders and sensitive to people’s situations, who went forward for Christian ministry upon graduating. But the question here is what is generally best for the workers being sent out into Christ's harvest field.

Warmly in Christ,

Julian

COUNCIL LEADER: SCHOOL CHILDREN CAN SAY 'IT AIN'T ADAM & STEVE'

Cranmer's Curate got an assurance from the Liberal Democrat leader of Sheffield City Council, Mr Paul Scriven, on BBC Radio Sheffield this morning that the council will uphold the right of Christian children to express their views on sexual morality in Sheffield state schools.

The link to the Toby Foster breakfast show is here (the interview is in the second half of the broadcast).

Mr Scriven is the first openly-gay leader of the City Council. Your curate made the point that 11-year-old children in citizenship classes who state their view that 'being gay is wrong' are not at that age able to distinguish between orientation and practice but what they mean is that it is wrong for people of the same sex to sleep together. The concern is that children could be sanctioned for homophobic abuse for saying such a thing and/or accused of having views on a par with racism.

Toby Foster, who is a comedian by background and not a specialist religious affairs journalist, was an outstanding interviewer. He asked Mr Scriven about a 12-year-old in a citizenship class who was a committed Christian and said that in their version of the Bible

it ain't Adam and Steve, it's Adam and Eve. What is going to happen to him?

Mr Scriven said:

Nothing is going to happen to him. There will be a discussion...That child can have that view. It's their view. As a Liberal I might disagree but allow them to have their view.

Your curate said he was enormously reassured by that and would bring to Mr Scriven's attention any cases of Christian children being wrongly sanctioned for homophobic abuse simply for stating their view.

Your curate also tried to make the point that freedom of speech is not to blame for homophobic bullying and attacks. The attackers are responsible and should be prosecuted.

Cranmer's Curate generally likes politicians and so enjoyed debating with Mr Scriven. He asks the youth group to pray for opportunities for witness to Christ amongst local politicians, and also for the witness of Christian children and young people in Sheffield state schools.

SURVEY PROMOTES LGBT AGENDA IN SCHOOLS

A Stonewall-supporting action group is at work in Sheffield seeking to use a survey of parents and carers to promote the LGBT agenda in schools.

Cranmer's Curate has been informed that a Sheffield-based children's and young people's empowerment project is working closely with an LGBT action group called GLOBAL to promote the survey. Sheffield is apparently now part of the Stonewall Education Champions Programme, which according to the empowerment project means schools in Sheffield 'have to meet' the aspirations of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans young people.

The empowerment project says GLOBAL are putting together a set of standards that schools 'have to meet' in order to show that they are LGBT friendly and so be able to use the Stonewall logo.

The empowerment group is calling on as many of its supporters as possible in their network and beyond to complete the survey of parents and carers: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=eCM508nuXQ88_2bmwuqa2m2Q_3d_3d

So there you have it - a survey promoted by an LGBT action group to show that parents and carers want the Stonewall agenda foisted on our school children. This reveals clearly and definitively that the supporters of Section 28 were absolutely right. In the absence of clear legal safeguards, homosexuality is being vigorously promoted in our state schools against the wishes of the silent majority of heterosexual parents.

And the Stonewall logo is the modern PC equivalent of a medieval papal indulgence. It is earned by merit.

What about the needs of Christian children who have a principled objection to sex outside of heterosexual marriage?

Christ's 'little ones' in our schools face being sanctioned for homophobic abuse if they so much as dare to question Stonewall dogma.

COPING WITH PC IN THE OFFICE

Christian ministry has its pressures but clergy are sheltered from the pressures of political correctness upon our Christian brothers and sisters in the secular workplace, particularly in the public sector.

We should therefore hesitate to pontificate too glibly. Cranmer's Curate worked in an office, albeit that of a newspaper, before getting ordained, so he has to a degree been there.

Here is a possible response to a gay work colleague who asks a Christian for their view on her civil partnership just as they're logging onto their PC for a day's work:

‘This is an important subject that needs a bit of time to discuss properly. I’ve got to get on with my work now. But how about a chat in the lunch break?’

If the offer was taken up, I might try to explain the Bible’s teaching about man-woman marriage and that it is the only right God-given context for the expression of sexual love. And I would end by saying something like – ‘because of my Christian beliefs about man-woman marriage, I believe in conscience that a civil partnership is not something a Christian person should enter into’.

‘But what about my civil partnership?’

‘You make no claim to be a Christian, so that's a choice you're allowed to make in society today. But it wouldn’t be right for a Christian person because of the Bible’s teaching about man-woman marriage.’

If a Christian were to get in trouble with the department's equality and diversity policy for that, then that has got to be a gross injustice.

The Apostle Peter's teaching in his first letter, originally written to 1st Century Christians suffering persecution by pagan Rome, surely does not require much hermeneutical adjustment in its application to Christians in society today:

Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what it is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear, do not be frightened.” But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander (1 Peter 3v13-16 - NIV).

THE PARABLE OF THE BURGER VANS

A national chain of burger vans undergoes a management buy-out from an Italian owner. The vans get a refit and become better targeted at the local market - the managers even speak English.

The vans branded 'Beefey's' unashamedly retail beef burgers dripping with grease and onions. That's built into the firm's Articles. Beefey's becomes part of the fabric of local communities across the land, popular with all ages. Parents want to celebrate the birth of a child with a slap-up Beefey's; couples want a van in the picture at their weddings; and the chain does good business at funeral wakes.

The MD becomes an important establishment figure. A photograph of him standing in front of a Beefey van outside Buckingham Palace becomes something of a popular icon.

Eventually Beefey's launches international franchises and goes significantly global.

But over time a new generation of younger managers comes into the business and they begin to develop ideological reservations about beef burgers. Surreptitious pamphlets are circulated denouncing beef. On the quiet the new managers start selling veggie burgers and even low-fat cherry pies out of their vans.

Another group of managers feels strongly that Beefey's is not posh enough. They take their vans upmarket, introducing air fresheners, joss-sticks and flamboyant overalls. It now looks as if this group may well go off and rejoin the prestigious Italian outfit who have said they are prepared to (sort of) let them keep their Beefey-branded vans.

That leaves the veggie Beefey's and the beefy Beefey's in a straight fight for the soul of the chain.

Veggie Beefey vans continue to lose money and customers. The beefy Beefey's make money, grow their customer base and are even launching new vans.

In fact, they're carrying the chain, even though their managers rarely become directors. It's the veggies who get most of the promotion. One of their own even became MD quite recently but he is reluctant to speak out too strongly against beef. Off the record briefings have started appearing in the burger van trade press calling him a 'ditherer'.

Some of the overseas franchises who are thoroughly beefy have started making noises about coming to the rescue.

What does the youth group think the beefy Beefey's should do?