Faith Groups to Rally against Sexual Orientation Regulations

Christians, Jews and Muslims will stand side by side today in protest against the Northern Ireland Sexual Orientation Regulations as they come up for debate today in the House of Lords.

Hundreds of protestors from across the country are expected to take part in the torch-lit rally outside the House of Lords today to urge Peers to oppose the regulations.

Peers will hold a one-hour discussion on a motion put forward by Lord Morrow, calling for the Northern Ireland regulations to be annulled so that they can in turn be amended to protect freedom of religion and freedom of conscience.

Thomas Cordrey, barrister and Public Policy Analyst with the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship commented, "The debate in the Lords is a signal to the government of the need to acknowledge that these regulations do not currently strike the correct balance between two competing rights. Christians have no desire to discriminate unjustly on the grounds of sexual orientation, but they cannot and must not be forced to actively condone and promote sexual practices which the Bible teaches are wrong. It is a fundamental matter of freedom of conscience."

"We are not asking the impossible of the government. While these regulations will make it illegal for a Christian printer to refuse to print a leaflet advertising a gay pride march, in Canada the Supreme Court of Ontario came to the conclusion that such a printer should not be forced to act in this way. It is possible for these regulations to outlaw discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, whilst guaranteeing the freedom for religious believers to abide by their faith".

Concerns have been high since the government fast-tracked the regulations in November after a consultation period which breached Cabinet Office requirements by its short duration.

Accusations that the government had not given sufficiently careful consideration to the regulations were fuelled when a drafting error in the original regulations meant that a separate amendment regulation had to be laid before parliament only weeks after the original regulations were laid.

A High Court challenge to the procedure the government has used to rush through the regulations will take place in March.

To coincide with the rally a petition signed by 10,000 concerned Christians in only 2 weeks will be delivered to Buckingham Palace at 4pm. The petition asks the Queen to request that the government re-think the regulations and thereby uphold her coronation pledge which stated that she would 'to the utmost of [her] power maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel'.

Ade Omooba, one of the Christian leaders behind the rally and petition, stated: "Senior lawyers have expressed the view that unless these regulations are amended, they will outlaw discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, only to replace it with discrimination on the grounds of religion. This would be entirely contrary to the Equality Act under which the regulations are being passed".

Alfred Williams, another Christian leader involved in the rally and petition, commented "The rally and petition represent the frustration felt by many Christians that the government have not taken seriously the points which we have sought to make to them over many months. We have made it clear that Christians cannot and will not accept being forced to act in a manner which is contrary to the Bible's clear teaching."

He continued, "We again offer to meet with the government ministers so that we can find a principled way forward in this matter. It is a sad fact that the government are planning to introduce this legislation in the same year that will commemorate the abolition of the slave trade. These regulations are a new form of slavery. Unless amended they will enslave our conscience."