Christian Lawyers: Last Chance to Stand Against Sexual Orientation Regulations

The Lawyers' Christian Fellowship (LCF) has told Christians that the coming weeks will be their "last chance" to "take a stand for truth and freedom" as it accused the Government of trying to rush through the Sexual Orientation Regulations (SORs) in order to bypass opposition.

"The Government has already promised homosexual lobby groups that once the SORs go through, they will immediately bring in further legislation making it illegal to discriminate against transsexuals," said the LCF.

"This is the last chance for Christians to take a stand for truth and freedom on this issue before the SORs, which take away Christian freedoms, become law."

Ruth Kelly published the regulations for England, Wales and Scotland last Wednesday to the dismay of Christian groups including the LCF, the Evangelical Alliance and CARE.

The Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR), meanwhile, published a report on the regulations in which it advised that freedom to live a practising homosexual lifestyle should trump the freedom to live a religious lifestyle.

Now the LCF is accusing the Government of rushing through the regulations after it announced late Tuesday night that the Delegated Legislation Committee, as opposed to the entire House of Commons, will now meet on Thursday morning to debate the regulations.

"The Government are trying to rush this law through Parliament so that there is no time for opponents to make a stand. Now is the time to pray and act," said the LCF.

MPs are expected to vote on a motion to approve the regulations next week. The LCF is appealing to Christians to contact their MPs to ask them to vote against the regulations.

The LCF criticised the decision by the House of Lords Merit Committee, which was meeting to review the regulations, to push forward its meeting against official guidelines, meaning that Christian organisations wanting to make submissions to the committee found that although they had submitted within the time limits given on the Parliament website, it was too late for their submissions to be read or taken into account.

"We must remember that in all things God is Sovereign: Jesus taught that faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains and Christians must unite to pray and speak out against this unjust law - whether or not the law is defeated it is our obligation as Christians to speak the truth in love," said the LCF.

"Politicians must be made aware that to pass this law will be to the detriment of the whole of society.

The LCF concluded, "It is clear that if Christians wish to stand and declare their belief in the need for freedom to live according to the Bible, it must be done now."