The UK General Election
The General Election in the United Kingdom is now over. When she called the election, the UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, was riding high in the opinion polls and she expected to obtain a greatly-increased majority in the House of Commons. But things did not work out as she hoped: while her Conservative party ended up with the largest number of MPs, she no longer has an overall majority.
This note is not intended as political comment in any party sense, but only to draw attention to some moral and religious aspects of the situation. In it all we should recognise the overruling providence of God, although we may not be able to understand in any detail His purposes for this country. But we
must recognise the prevailing ungodliness and how almost every political party has pursued an ungodly agenda on moral issues. The exceptions are the Unionist parties in the Northern Ireland assembly, which have been resisting – thus far successfully – proposals to legalise abortion and same-sex “marriage”. Ironically Mrs May is now having to rely on the Democratic Unionist Party for support in the House of Commons.
The UK, in common with many other countries which have rejected their Christian heritage, is in a very dangerous position. There is a very distinct parallel with Judah, whom the Lord warned: “Their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased. How shall I pardon thee for this? Thy children have forsaken Me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery . . . every one neighed after his neighbour’s wife” (Jer 5:6-8). God is likewise leaving the UK to itself to an alarming extent; we are a nation under judgement.
One positive outcome of the election was the return of many more MPs in Scotland opposed to independence. (For justification of our opposition to Scottish independence, particularly on grounds related to our Protestant constitution, see a note in the September 2014 issue of this Magazine.)
Mrs May is a churchgoer, but one wonders: Did she pray over her decision to call an election? Did she seek God’s blessing on her campaign? Yet, however dissatisfied we may feel with the religious and moral attitudes of most of those in parliament today, we are called to pray for the government of the UK or wherever else we may live. Paul wrote: “I exhort . . . that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Tim 2:1,2).
Terrorist Attacks
At the time of writing, there have been three major terrorist attacks in the UK since March. Our readers will be well aware of something of the horror and carnage which such despicable outrages have caused in the name of the Islamic religion. People of all ages and from many countries have been caught up in these dreadful events and shared in the misery produced by them. In total, 35 people have been killed and 217 injured in the attacks.
The two London incidents occurred on the streets and were relatively unsophisticated in their brutality, but the Manchester suicide bombing targeted a pop music concert, using shrapnel to maximise the impact of the explosion and claiming the lives of many young people, including a teenage girl from the Western Isles. Twenty-two were killed and 119 injured that night alone. The youngest victim was only eight years of age. It is deeply regrettable that
so many young children were present at a pop concert and that some ended their days on earth in such desperately sad circumstances. We desire to remember those who have been injured in these attacks and their families and the families of those who have lost loved ones. We pray that the Lord, in His great mercy, would grant them the healing balm of the gospel in their souls in the midst of their sorrow.
These appalling events demonstrate that Britain, and the western world generally, is confronted with an ideology that secular liberalism cannot deal with and has no means of overcoming by its own resources. Militant Islam is a spiritual power which no amount of security surveillance, community engagement or de-radicalisation measures can ever begin to tackle successfully. Indeed one of the most worrying aspects of the recent attacks was the fact that a number of the perpetrators were UK citizens. The fact that such evil terrorists can grow up in our society and be left to commit such atrocities is an indication of the displeasure of God against our godless generation. The only means of overcoming Islamic terrorism in the long term is the blessing of God on the preaching of the everlasting gospel, so that the religion of Islam is brought down in its every guise.
But until the UK is awakened to a sense of its sinful departure from the religion of the Bible, it is likely that attacks will only continue; indeed much worse may yet occur. We are still, however, to pray for the day when all false religion will be swept off the face of the earth and when “nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Is 2:4). AWM
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
At its recent Synod, the Scottish Episcopal Church approved the “marriage” of sodomites; while the Church of Scotland took a further step in that direction when the General Assembly received a report on the subject from its Theological Forum, and instructed its Legal Questions Committee “to undertake a study of the matters which would require to be addressed in any new legislation permitting Ministers and Deacons to officiate at same-sex marriage ceremonies”.
The report itself contains all manner of evasions and unfounded assertions (for example, that every person in the world has “an entitlement to the scripture in their own language” – the Bible, it seems, is not a gracious and undeserved blessing from heaven but a human right that can be demanded). The main argument, or rather juggling trick, in the report is that we should not be thinking of marriage in terms of heterosexual and homosexual unions but rather in terms of procreative and non-procreative unions. The marriage of the first Adam is an example of the former (procreative) while the mar-
riage of “the last Adam” is assumed to be an example of the latter (non-procreative). Thus the New Testament supposedly endorses non-procreative, and hence homosexual, unions.
It appears from the report that the Theological Forum took no notice of Romans 7:4: “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God”. This verse shows that a true marriage to Christ is fruitful; and one fruit that the genuine believer brings forth unto God is submission to His Word (Mt 28:20). The absence of this fruit is a sure sign that the soul is not married to Christ. Judged by this standard, many in the General Assembly are indeed “non-procreative” in the union that they claim with Christ; in truth they remain married to the law, and are bringing forth “fruit unto death” (Rom 7:5), of which this silly report is a sad example. DWBS
UK Exporting Same-Sex “Marriage”
In 2013 former UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, boasted of his determination to export same-sex “marriage” all over the world. Not content with legalising it in England and Wales, he stated, during a celebration party for homosexual activists in Downing Street, that he hoped to see it accepted throughout the world. He told them his pride in his success in sanctioning “gay marriage” in spite of much opposition among his own MPs. The first same-sex “marriage” was performed in March 2014; a Scottish Act quickly followed and was put on the statute book in December of that year.
Mr Cameron claimed that Britain was now “the best place to be gay, lesbian or transgender anywhere in Europe”. He added, “I think it’s a really good step. I’ve told the Bill team I’m now going to reassign them because, of course, all over the world people would have been watching this and we’ve set something of an example of how to pass good legislation in good time. Many countries are going to want to copy this.” During the event Mr Cameron signed a copy of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013.
Significantly, in the Lord’s providence, Mr Cameron is no longer in parliament. However, a loophole has been found whereby his desire to export same-sex “marriage” is taking place in a rather subtle manner. Same-sex couples, of whom one or both is British, can be “married” within embassies in countries where this sinful practice is illegal. Their “union” then becomes valid under UK law as it has technically been performed on British soil. One same-sex “marriage” that took place recently at the British Embassy in the Seychelles caused great concern. A local bishop rightly called it “illegal and shameful” and “disrespectful to Seychelles”.
Using the loophole, 10 such couples “married” in China and seven in Japan, including a ceremony for two male UK diplomats attended by the British Ambassador. Others were held in Vietnam, Cambodia, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and the Philippines. There are reports that British nationals can “marry” at embassies in Azerbaijan, Kosovo, Albania, Bolivia, Serbia and Russia – all of which oppose same-sex “marriage”.
However, inroads have been greatest in Australia, which has so far resisted redefining marriage. Apparently perhaps 100 to 150 of same-sex “marriages” have been performed there – undermining the sovereign will of that country, and further strengthening the voice of a vociferous minority seeking to overthrow the status quo. The Anglican Archbishop of Sydney warned in The Australian newspaper: “Not only has this minority view [of campaigners for same-sex “marriage”] tried to swamp the public debate with its introspective, authoritarian denial of free speech, it has struck at the heart of Australian democracy and the freedoms that we all cherish”.
So, tragically, we now observe Britain, not only dragging herself into a moral mire, but extending a pernicious influence over other nations. Lyle Shelton, Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby, comments on the current domestic debate, saying, “We’re seeing the negative consequences of the decision that Britain has made, in terms of the impacts on the rights and freedoms of other people in the UK, particularly people of faith, so I think it’s up to Australia to make its own decision and not to be swayed by what other nations might do”.
How we need the Lord to pour out His Spirit, not only upon the UK, but also upon the whole world so that the time will come when it will be said, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever” (Rev 11:15). KHM