The Demand of Intolerance: Obey Men Rather Than God
The chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Trevor Phillips, said recently that religious rules should end “at the door of the temple” and give way to “public law” laid down by Parliament. He meant that religious groups should be free to follow their own rules among themselves but not outside. He implied that, when faith groups who provide public services find that the law of the state conflicts with their religious beliefs, they must bear the consequences if they decide to comply with their beliefs instead of the conflicting law. He also made the absurd statement that Christians who wish exemption from equality laws which contravene their beliefs are like Muslims trying to impose sharia law on Britain.
We have here another instance of a secular group, this time a government commission, seeking to intimidate into silence those who question its anti-Christian policies or oppose them. Trevor Phillips has been outspoken in the past in defending human-rights legislation when it conflicts with religious beliefs; he has even accused some Christian groups of being more militant than Muslims.
Many will agree with Andrea Williams of the Christian Legal Centre, who said, “These comments are deeply illiberal. They are intolerant.” The former Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali, is correct to conclude that Phillips “seems to be saying that there should be a totalitarian kind of view in which a believer’s conscience should not be respected”. Such intolerant and totalitarian attitudes as those of Trevor Philips should make us all the more resolved, by grace, to follow the example of Peter and the other Apostles, who stoutly declared to the authorities that tried to stop them teaching in the name of Jesus: “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). NMR
Church of Scotland Support for Hinduism in Aberdeen
The Press and Journal in February reported a dispute in the Aberdeen Presbytery of the Church of Scotland over Hindu worship. The worship, which involved idols, has been conducted in a hall at Queen’s Cross Church since the end of 2010. Queen’s Cross Church is notorious as having a minister who is openly homosexual; and Romans chapter 1 makes a significant connection between idolatry and homosexuality.
The Presbytery (which has about 80 members) considered a motion introduced by Rev Louis Kinsey, Bridge of Don, which would have prohibited such worship in Church of Scotland buildings. Mr Kinsey was prominent in 2009 in opposing the induction of the Queen’s Cross minister. The Presbytery met in private and narrowly rejected Mr Kinsey’s motion. Perhaps it was as well that they met in private because the spiritual ignorance and blasphemous views of some of the members must have been appalling. Mr Kinsey argued that the idolatrous worship of false deities was a breach of the First and Second Commandments, which of course it is, but such arguments make little impression on those who have already accepted sodomy. Indeed, we are somewhat surprised that Mr Kinsey’s motion received so much support.
The Press and Journal’s comment on the decision was to express pleasure that “good old-fashioned Christian values” of tolerance had prevailed. One correspondent replied that Christ “was less than pleased with the moneychangers in the temple and deplored His Father’s house being used for wrong purposes”. It is not, however, the sanctity of church buildings but the evil of assisting idolatry which is the point at issue. Perhaps there were other and stronger letters which the Press and Journal did not see fit to publish. The mask of “tolerance” beams upon false religion but is removed when true Christianity appears.
We happened to be reading in Leviticus 26:27-30 this morning and the words should make the ears of Aberdonians to tingle: “And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.”
DWBS
Free Church “Nightclub” on the Sabbath
It was announced on the “Solas” website of the Dundee Free Church that two Free Church congregations were hosting a jazz event called “Heaven in a Nightclub” in their buildings. The performing band is called “Renewal” and has a professor from Westminster Theological Seminary as its pianist. On Sabbath, March 11, the band was to play at St Columba’s Free Church in Edinburgh, and on Monday, March 12, in the Free Church in Dundee. The Monday event had a £5 entrance fee. No tickets were being sold for the Sabbath event but a £5 donation to cover costs would be “appreciated”. The professor and a part of the band had previously visited the UK in 2002, when they played at St George’s Tron Church of Scotland in Glasgow.
The rapidity with which a section of the Free Church is conforming to the world is astonishing. We fear that this worldliness masquerading as Christianity, though called “Heaven in a Nightclub”, may be the way to eternal hell for some poor deluded souls.
DWBS