Categories: uncategorized
Date: 28 January 2007 09:22:57
This is the statement that the Baptist Union of Great Britain has issued about SOR's. It is a reasonable attempt at trying to satisfy everybody and so being able to please nobody and getting back to Baptist basics all at the same time.
The key to it has been that they have decided to go back to that key term, "Christian conscience" and make clear that no Christian should be required to act against it. This is fine, until one realises that the term has been selectively pulled out in order to be used politically in a way that I am fairly clear BUGB wouldn't use it around other issues. Whilst they speak out against Trident they do not talk about the issue involved that the uses of our taxes in that way may be in direct contradiction to the "Christian conscience".They also appear to contradict themselves through the statement because they talk about Jesus showing love, etc and then go on to indicate that ones "Christian conscience" may direct one to disobey the law in this case which means they are effectively saying ones "Christian conscience" could direct someone to discriminate, be prejudiced, and show anything but love - which even with my limited understanding of the bible is a bit, well wrong, (or perhaps that's just my biased reading of the statement).
I think the idea of "Christian conscience" is important and one which needs discussing and unpacking more in the modern era, but I think in this case it is being misused. That said I recognise that the whole debate around SOR's is quite complicated and there are serious issues involved not only about discrimination and tackling homophobia but also around religious organisations as non-profit making organisations in post-christendom.
Oh and incase our non-UK visitors want to know what the SOR's are and what all the fuss is about the joint public issues team which represents the main UK free churches (Baptist, Methodist and URC) has issued this q&a sheet. For a slightly pinker view on the subject see LGCM's site.