British Christians Protest Religious “Hate” Law
British Christians Protest Religious “Hate” Law
CWNews
In the United Kingdom, Christians are speaking out against a proposed law that they say threatens their free speech.
It’s happening in London, where the House of Commons recently approved a ‘religious hate law’. That law makes it a crime to use ‘insulting words’ that might stir up religious hatred.
But Christians say the law could be used against them, simply for teaching the Bible’s truth.
Christian lawyer Mark Mullins said, “A lot of Christian preachers would realize that what they’re saying is offensive. After all the Scripture talks about the ‘offense of the Gospel;’ by its nature, it tends to divide people, not necessarily to unite them.”
He went on, “At any church meeting, it could be reasonable to assume there might be non-Christians there and this offense says that: if it’s likely there are people there in whom hatred is capable of being stirred up, then you’ve committed the offense.”
Mullins was among the Christian lawyers, ministers and church leaders who recently gathered to discuss the ramifications of the law.
Also in attendance was Daniel Scot, the Pakistani-born Christian who has been convicted under a similar law in Australia. An Australian judicial tribunal said that Scot “vilified” Muslims by teaching that the Koran supports Jihad. He faces sentencing in May.
Scot warned that religious ‘hate crime’ laws threaten both freedom of religion and freedom of speech.