'When it comes to applying equality and diversity laws, Christians seem to be the first to be punished and the last to be protected. This prejudice and intolerance must end,' declares the Christian Institute in its superbly researched and presented booklet, Marginalising Christians - Instances of Christians being sidelined in modern Britain.
But the reality is that prejudice and intolerance against Christians are not going to end. Because aggressive secularism has become so deeply entrenched amongst the liberal establishment running Britain since the 1960s, hassle for pro-active Christians is likely to be a fact of life for many years to come. But these tribulations are offset by liberal human rights legislation and the legal vestiges of Christian Britain, which are quite difficult to remove without dragging other faiths into the net.
Christians therefore have recourse to the law, which means we don't suffer nearly as much as our Christian brothers and sisters in Muslim countries. Remembering that should help to keep us humble.
The fact at parochial level is that the current spiritual and moral fluidity is providing tremendous opportunities for evangelism. People at the grass-roots are tiring of secular materialism. Christmas has been staging a come-back at parish level during the Noughties and the people who have been coming to church are less culturally motivated than previous generations of Christmas attenders. Cranmer's Curate sensed this Christmas that our visitors were really listening to the Word.
So, though things are getting more difficult in some ways and physically dangerous for front-line clergy in a growing number of communities, these are great days for the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. That means it's worth enduring the temporal injustices we are bound to suffer.
Whilst the cases publicised by the Christian Institute have involved real injustices against Christians in secular employment, there is the danger that fighting discrimination can become the legal equivalent of heresy hunting - we begin to look for it. Armed with our sob stories, we could end up pandering to the victim culture of post-modernity.
For the sake of parish evangelism, the Christian Institute and Christian Concern for our Nation need to make sure that the cases they publicise involve Christians who have, as St Paul enjoins in Colossians 4v5, conducted themselves wisely towards outsiders.
A fish sticker on the back of a Christian's car shouldn't automatically entitle us to the legal defence fund, particularly if we've been driving badly.
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...there is the danger that fighting discrimination can become the legal equivalent of heresy hunting - we begin to look for it. Armed with our sob stories, we could end up pandering to the victim culture of post-modernity.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. Not only this, but some Christians start going over the top and this creates resentment from the non-christian world, which is counter-productive at best and Gospel defeating at worst.
Dr Bridget McConnell, the head of Glasgow’s museums and art has been under siege from Christian fundamentalists, who have vowed to oust her from her job.
Christian Nadia Eweida is appealing against a ruling which cleared British Airways of discriminating against her by asking her to stop wearing a cross at work.
I agree with the admonition that complaints, against harrassment, should not be over the top - but it is certainly the case that discrimination is coming. In the early Church there were many professions, apparently, that a Christian couldn't hold. Soon this will be the case again, in our society. Of course, people in our society may be willing, or slowly eased into, accepting work in such activities (eg. the job environments changing during their work tenure). Before long, someone must try to make a list of things Christians cannot do, as a job (it will be hotly contested (by Christians) of course, but better that than we don't have such a list).
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