“British Values” Oath
As society implodes morally, the result is more and more fragmentation, for sin divides people from each other as well as separating us from our God.
The United Kingdom Government is desperately seeking a solution, but sadly it does not discern the root of the malady affecting the nation, although it does to a degree see something of the fruit produced by it. One proposal is to introduce a “British values” oath which public office holders would be compelled to take. In a recent visit to the USA, Prime Minister Theresa May stated her determination to “address the whole spectrum of extremism” and indeed boasted that the UK was leading the world in this field. The oath on British values and equality is one such recommendation in an array of policy proposals intended to address the disintegration/extremism problem.
Over a year ago the former Prime Minister and Theresa May, his Home Secretary, asked Dame Louise Casey to undertake a review on “integration and opportunity” in modern Britain. She concluded her evaluation in December and states, “I wanted to consider what divides communities and gives rise to anxiety, prejudice, alienation and a sense of grievance”. She adds, “I approached this task by hoping that by improving integration . . . we could also inject some resilience against those who try to divide us with their extremism and hate”.
Her report stated that Britain is “becoming increasingly ethnically diverse” and, although the country is “predominantly religious” with a majority belonging to some religion, the proportion of people saying that they are Christians fell from 70% to 59% over the 10-year period to 2011. Worryingly the number of people identifying themselves as Muslim has increased by 1.2 million over the same time. Another alarming observation was that “we have a significant lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender population, with an increase of self-identification”. Her solution to this complex diversity – running throughout her analysis – is to have “unity around British values”.
But what are British values today? They are certainly far removed from the ethics held several decades ago and very far from the biblical values held dear by God’s people in Britain over many generations. Sajid Javid, the Communities Secretary, is very keen to support a “British values” oath. He lists the benefits of “tolerating the views of others that we disagree with: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, equality, democracy”. School employees, civil servants, councillors, police and judges – indeed anyone engaged in public service – would be expected to take the oath. At first glance it may seem very benign. On the face of it, no Christian would oppose these values, but the question is: How would they be interpreted in practice? As one digs deeper, we detect subtlety behind the concept.
It was the “Equality” Commission of Northern Ireland which brought a prosecution case against Ashers’ bakery for refusing to bake a cake promoting same-sex “marriage”. Is this how we want the British value of “equality” to
be worked out? At present we see how harshly the authorities apply the “equality and diversity” framework. Some time ago we noted how Felix Ngole was expelled from his university course for supporting the biblical teaching on marriage. The tolerance of the university extended just as far as it agreed with his views. There was no tolerance, no acceptance of an alternative viewpoint. Similarly NHS Trust worker Richard Page was barred from office for not agreeing to same-sex “parents” adopting children. Even the word “democracy” appears to be losing its real meaning in some quarters as can be heard when we listen to debates on “Brexit”.
A Christian publication crystallises the issue: “‘Tolerance’ itself has changed its meaning. It used to mean accepting the existence of ideas with which you disagree. It now tends to mean accepting all other ideas as equally valid, unless you happen to disagree with this meaning of ‘tolerance’, in which case you are not ‘tolerated’. Those who hold that there are absolute truths and moral values are branded ‘intolerant’, though that is not what ‘intolerance’ used to mean.” The writer goes on to add, “For example, if I say that sex outside marriage is morally wrong, then I may be branded ‘intolerant’. Actually I am merely expressing a moral opinion which bears no relation to how ‘tolerant’ of other opinions I am.”
It seems evident that the proposed values oath would be of no help and would tend to jeopardise the Christian’s position in public life and bring in an even more oppressive society. Of course, if Christian values were the norm, how good it would be to swear allegiance to them. Indeed God’s people are the first to acknowledge with grief how far short they come in attaining these values.
However, Dame Casey does not even seem to understand what she is asking for when, on a Radio 4 programme, she proclaimed, “We need to unite around unity”. Such a statement is tautological. We have drifted from our shared Christian heritage; so there is nothing concrete to unite around. Many words have lost their true meaning and the nation has lost its Christian identity. We have drifted from our moorings out onto a secular sea, with no compass. To change the figure, we are “as sheep going astray” and our only hope, as individuals and as a nation, is to return by God’s grace “unto the Shepherd and Bishop of [our] souls” (1 Pet 2:25). KHM
The Church of England Synod and Homosexuality
A report on marriage and same-sex relations from the House of Bishops in the Church of England was narrowly rejected by the General Synod in February. Though far too liberal, the report was not liberal enough for the House of Clergy. The report was two years in preparation, and will now be
reconsidered by the House of Bishops, but there was no need for any such report in the first place. The unchanging Word of God has long since condemned homosexual activity and homosexual desire, and indeed all lust. Christians are to deny “ungodliness and worldly lusts” (Tts 2:12), and all men ought to be Christians: “God commandeth all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).
DWBS
Death of Rev I D Campbell
Rev Iain D Campbell, Free Church minister of Point, Lewis, died on January 28 at the age of 53. It was widely rumoured at the time, and has now been confirmed, that he died as a result of hanging himself. Furthermore, his widow is now reported to have raised allegations of immorality regarding her late husband and other women.
If it were simply a case of alleged immorality, the matter would be best left to the Church courts, but the suicide of someone who professed to be a converted Christian for 40 years, and who was a prominent minister of the gospel on the more conservative side of the present Free Church, is a matter of spiritual concern to the whole Church and nation. Particularly, it is a loud voice to the people of Lewis and elsewhere to give careful consideration to their own spiritual state before the Lord.
There will be some – probably many – who will turn the event to their own destruction. They will persuade themselves that it confirms what they already believed or hoped to be true: that Christians are merely sanctimonious hypocrites, and that Christianity is false. It is evident that the truth of Christianity does not depend on the conduct of any single professing Christian but on the historical reality of Christ’s resurrection; yet such people ignore this fact. This solemn event is, in their case, a further aspect of the Divine displeasure towards our nation, which has resulted in virtually whole generations of our fellow countrymen going down to hell in unbelief.
Others, however, may ask themselves what the Lord is saying to them by this extraordinary providence. Whatever the reason for the suicide was, we do not wish to end our lives in the same way. We are being taught that a long profession of faith, and apparent employment in Christ’s service, are no perfect security against our laying violent hands on ourselves.
Those directly involved will have to investigate the circumstances of Mr Campbell’s life and death, but the rest of us have to do with our own souls; and we should be looking to our own faith and asking whether it is genuine; to our sins and asking whether they have been blotted out in the blood of Christ; to our fruitfulness and asking whether we are living to Christ’s glory; to our self-denial and asking whether we are taking up the cross and going
after Him; to our spiritual-mindedness and asking whether we have joy in the Holy Ghost; to our mortification and asking whether the world is crucified unto us and we unto the world; to our prayerfulness and asking whether we are praying without ceasing; to our watchfulness and asking whether we are resisting the devil; and to our love and asking whether it is shed abroad in our heart by the Holy Ghost given unto us.
There has been far too little self-examination in Scottish Christianity in the last 50 years. This sad death is a commanding voice to us from heaven. “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12). DWBS