Christians, Muslims and Jews yesterday demonstrated outside the Parliament building in the UK as the House of Lords debated the Northern Ireland Sexual Orientation Regulations - a law aimed at preventing businesses discriminating against gay people in the provision of goods and services.A petition signed by 10,000 Christians was also handed to the Queen asking her to use her ‘position and power’ to stop the Government introducing the laws.
The campaign is backed by Christian lawyers, including Lord Mackay of Clashfern, the former Lord Chancellor, and senior Church of England and Roman Catholic bishops.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph yesterday Lord Mackay said that the regulations would affect ‘the individual seeking to practise his faith in his daily life’.
‘The moral teaching that is part of the faith of many Christians, Jews and Muslims includes the view that the practice of homosexuality is sinful,’
This view is not concerned with the orientation of the individual, but with the ‘putting into practice of a homosexual orientation by carrying out homosexual acts,’ added Lord Mackay.
He said: ‘If, as I believe, it is the intention to outlaw discrimination not only on the grounds of sexual orientation, but also on the grounds of homosexual practices, then I feel these regulations will affect primarily the individual seeking to practise his faith in his daily life when he encounters those who practise homosexuality. The regulations aim to over-ride his conscientious objections in the interest of promoting the freedom of those who wish to indulge in homosexual practices.’
The law would for example, force bed and breakfast owners to offer double rooms to gay couples even if they believe homosexuality is wrong on religious grounds. Christian printers would also have no right to refuse to print up posters for a gay pride march.
In his article Lord Mackay suggested that Christian teachers who teach that marriage, with the purpose of procreating children of the marriage, is a better way forward for our society than any other lifestyle, might fall foul of the ‘harassment provisions’.
‘I do believe that the provisions relating to harassment and to education need to be re-thought, in order that pupils in schools and other educational establishments may have the opportunity of knowing how major sections of the religious community view the practice of homosexuality.’
He said the provisions would also affect bookshops and printers, where it may turn out to be unlawful for a bookseller to stock books advocating marriage and deploring homosexual practices.
The measures relating to gay adoption might ultimately lead to the ending of state funding for many faith-based charitable organisations, he suggested.
In the debate yesterday evening, peers voted on a motion calling for the regulations to be annulled because they undermine freedom of religion and conscience.
In the debate yesterday evening, peers voted on a motion calling for the regulations to be annulled because they undermine freedom of religion and conscience.
The Northern Ireland Sexual Orientation Regulations came into effect on January 1st, and similar laws are expected to be introduced across the UK by April.
‘The debate in the Lords is a signal to the government of the need to acknowledge that these regulations do not currently strike the correct balance between two competing rights,’ said Thomas Cordrey of the Lawyer's Christian Fellowship.
‘Christians have no desire to discriminate unjustly on the grounds of sexual orientation, but they cannot and must not be forced to actively condone and promote sexual practices which the Bible teaches are wrong. It is a fundamental matter of freedom of conscience.’
‘It is possible for these regulations to outlaw discrimination, whilst guaranteeing the freedom for religious believers to abide by their faith,’ he added.