A Christian charity has put together a panel of commissioners to investigate the nature and extent of discrimination against Christians in the UK. 

The Commission of Inquiry is being launched by Voice for Justice UK (VfJ) after a survey of 1,500 Christians by the charity found that experiences of hostility and ridicule are widespread.

Well over half of respondents aged below 35 (61%) said they had experienced hostility and ridicule for discussing their beliefs. 

Less than half overall (45%) felt able to express their views in the workplace, falling to below 35% among under-35s. 

Only a fifth felt that discrimination against Christians was taken as seriously as other forms of discrimination. 

Many respondents reported a lack of freedom of speech around LGBT issues. One person spoke of "bullying" by LGBT advocates, while another said their employer "has made it known that 'misgendering a trans colleague' is a sackable offence". 

A fed up teenager said: "The most painful and public experiences now seem to be related to LGBTQIA agendas. It is being forced down the throat of Christians who now have been consumed by fear and unable to say frankly 'I don't believe in this and I won't endorse this'."

One respondent described an incident in which a colleague asked them whether they believed in same sex marriage.

"When I said 'no' she said it was lucky I was talking to her as she had friends who would have reported me," they said. 

Another described feeling left with no choice but to quit their job because they were being forced to affirm students' gender identity. 

According to VfJ, the UK has the highest rate of legal prosecutions for alleged 'hate speech' in Europe.

It warns that the situation is only getting worse, with recent cases of Christians being cancelled, arrested or losing their jobs for sharing their beliefs. 

These include pro-life volunteer Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, who has been arrested twice in the last year for silent prayer in an abortion clinic 'buffer zone'; King Lawal, a Conservative councillor who was suspended by his party and cancelled by seven organisations after saying that being gay was a sin; and Ben Dybowski, a teacher who said he was dismissed for 'hate speech' after being invited to share his views during a training session.

The Commission of Inquiry into Discrimination Against Christians (CIDAC) was launched this week and is being overseen by a panel whose members have been selected for their experience and expertise in human rights and equality issues. 

They have been tasked with "investigating impartially the nature, context and scale of discrimination faced by Christians in the UK".

Lynda Rose CEO of Voice for Justice, said: "Is freedom and tolerance for everyone or only for some? If Christians can be silenced, who next?"

CIDAC is inviting submissions from Christians who have suffered discrimination, injustice, stigma or hostility. Hearings open to the public will begin shortly. Further information can be obtained from the website https://cidac.co.uk/ or from office@cidac.org.uk.