Child Pornography Bill
A private member’s Bill designed to bring about an end to the trade in child pornography has been held up in the House of Commons through the action of Mr Ian Mikardo, a left-wing Labour M.P. It is gratifying to know that the Prime Minister, Mr James Callaghan, has since then pledged the Government to do all in its power to see that the Bill becomes law before the end of this session of Parliament. In support of the Bill, Mrs Mary Whitehouse handed in to the Prime Minister a petition bearing one and a half million signatures. It is to be hoped that this despicable trade will be wholly stamped out as a result of these moves.
Abortion Legislation
The Abortion Act, sponsored by Mr David Steel, now leader of the Liberal Party, has been responsible for more than one million abortions in England and Wales since it came into force ten years ago, according to a Press report. The full effects of this piece of legislation in the murder of unborn children, and in its effects on the mothers who consent to this unnatural act, and on the doctors who participate in these operations, will not likely be known until the secrets of men will be revealed before the Judge of all the earth at the great day of judgment. Then shall the earth disclose her blood; then shall men see what inhuman monsters human beings can become when the restraints of God’s Spirit are withdrawn. What enormity will not man perpetrate if left to himself! The blood of those ‘innocents’ who have been cut off in the womb will yet be required of this nation of ours. May the Lord in His mercy speedily visit our nation so that the compassion shown to expectant mothers and to the unborn would not be the perverted ‘compassion’ of destroyers of life but the compassion of promoters and preservers of life.
Birching
The Isle of Man has figured prominently in the news recently because of a case brought against the Island at the European Court of Human Rights. That Court has now ordered the Isle of Man to abandon the use of the birch for the punishment of juvenile crime, stigmatising its use as a “degrading punishment.” The interference of the European Court of Human Rights in the matter is to be deplored. One would think that the judges in that Court had never read in the Bible, “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.” Even on the ground of an effective deterrent, the birch rates very high, as the Isle of Man has little violent juvenile crime; different to the mainland where there is no birch deterrent and juvenile crime is rife. Let the European Court deal with cases that are worthy of its consideration. We do not regard this as one of them.