- Nov 26, 2019
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I was appalled to read this: It is now illegal to pray out loud or make the sign of the cross in public
Essentially, Bournemouth has banned public displays of religion around an abortion clinic from 7 AM to 7 PM, by making it a public order offense, similiar to restrictions on the consumption of alcohol in various public spaces. The dubious objective was to “protect” women heading to the clinic from the proper efforts of Christian pro-life activists to dissuade them, since apparently political correctness is more valuable than eternal life or upholding the traditional moral values of the United Kingdom*.
Thus far, no one has been charged under the act, but I suspect it will happen. And if someone is prosecuted, there is some speculation that the law violates the European
Convention of Human Rights, but obviously I am a minister, not a lawyer, and am not providing legal advice, and furthermore, if I personally lived in the UK I wouldn’t try it, because the prospect of a British gaol, as they spell what we Americans call a jail, and relying on the justices of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
Rather, I think British pro-life Christians should take legal advice on how to lawfully protest this outrage, pro-life clergy should denounce it from the pulpit, for example by adding prayers to the Orthodox Litany of Peace or the Anglican Great Litany or Prayers of the Church, or a collect to Evensong and Morning Prayer, and to their Roman Catholic equivalents (I don’t know the Novus Ordo mass and Liturgy of the Hours well enough to name the equivalent) if allowed by their bishops, whereas independent conservative churches such as the Plymouth Brethren, the Presbyterians of Northern Ireland, the Reformed Presbyterian Church, also known as the Covenanting Church, the Baptists, Adventists and other pro-life churches could perhaps pray extemporaneously, or otherwise in the case of the Covenanters and other conservative presbyterians follow whatever liturgical procedure is permitted in their respective books of order.
From the perspective of freedom to practice religion, freedom of speech, freedom of expression, Patristics, Church Tradition (Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox) and the Holy Bible the Bournemouth Council has done something I consider to be unethical, unconscionable, morally reprehensible, and an outrage against personal freedom, religious tolerance, and human dignity. Thus I propose that pro-life British Christians should band together, and prudently consider alliances even with other pro-life religions such as Mormonism and Orthodox Judaism, to lawfully protest and seek the repeal of this ill-conceived municipal ordinance.
*In the 19th century led the way in missionary activity, the abolition of slavery, and work against poverty through the efforts of groups such as the Wesleyan-influenced Salvation Army with its beautiful bass bands and uniforms (I could see myself joining if only they offered communion, baptism and other sacraments), and the Ultra High Church Anglicans known as Anglo-Catholics, who provided relief for the poor while being persecuted for daring to wear chasubles in their churches, something later found to not be a violation of the Act of Conformity since, as Rev. Percy Dearmer pointed out, the Ornaments Rubric permitted anything in use during the second year of the reign of King Edward VI, between 1548 and 1549, and that included chasubles.
** The Council of Europe is not to be confused with the European Council or the Council of the European Union, or the European Union itself, despite the fact they share identical flags, for the Council of Europe is a separate entity that manages the implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights, and unlike the EU, all European countries are members except for Belarus, due to capital punishment, and Russia, due to the situation in Ukraine, whereas several European countries including the UK (which famously became the first nation to leave with Brexit), and Switzerland, Norway, Turkey, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Andorra, Albania Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, San Marino, Moldova, the Ukraine, and the Vatican City State, which have never been members, but some have applied for membership (obviously Switzerland, Liechtenstein, which is by treaty afforded military protection by Switzerland, and the Vatican City State are unlikely to apply for membership for obvious reasons).
Likewise, the European Court of Human Rights is different from the European Court of Justice, the former being the court of final appeal in cases that involve alleged violations of the European Convention on Human Rights, and an organ of the Council of Europe, whereas the European Court of Justice is an organ of the European Union and adjudicates disputes over EU laws and regulations and also certain categories of disputes between EU member states.
In the same manner, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is different from the European Parliament, effectively the lower house of the EU legislature, with the Council of the European Union, also called the Council of Ministers, being akin to an upper house. The European Council in turn is comprised of the heads of government of each EU nation, and sets the overall strategic direction and policy of the EU, whereas the European Commission presides over the executive branch, with the President of the European Commission being the highest ranking EU official, akin to the Secretary General of the United Nations, but with much more power. There is also a European Court of Auditors responsible for auditing the accounts, the books if you will, of the European Union, which in the period prior Brexit had refused to sign off on the books for many years. I don’t know if this is still the case. The Eurocracy, as the vast bureaucracy of the EU is complex, and fascinating for someone like me who has an interest in comparative constitutional law. If you find it confusing, you are not alone, but the EU is popular among large segments of the European population, and unpopular with others. I don’t allow myself a political opinion on it - since returning to my old job as a Presbyter in 2019, I have limited my political opinions to issues that affect the lives and religious liberty of Christians, the Christian moral and ethical program, opposition to genocides and religious persecution, and also issues like transportation systems, aerospace policy, and water and power infrastructure which people tend not to be particularly passionate about.
Essentially, Bournemouth has banned public displays of religion around an abortion clinic from 7 AM to 7 PM, by making it a public order offense, similiar to restrictions on the consumption of alcohol in various public spaces. The dubious objective was to “protect” women heading to the clinic from the proper efforts of Christian pro-life activists to dissuade them, since apparently political correctness is more valuable than eternal life or upholding the traditional moral values of the United Kingdom*.
Thus far, no one has been charged under the act, but I suspect it will happen. And if someone is prosecuted, there is some speculation that the law violates the European
Convention of Human Rights, but obviously I am a minister, not a lawyer, and am not providing legal advice, and furthermore, if I personally lived in the UK I wouldn’t try it, because the prospect of a British gaol, as they spell what we Americans call a jail, and relying on the justices of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
Rather, I think British pro-life Christians should take legal advice on how to lawfully protest this outrage, pro-life clergy should denounce it from the pulpit, for example by adding prayers to the Orthodox Litany of Peace or the Anglican Great Litany or Prayers of the Church, or a collect to Evensong and Morning Prayer, and to their Roman Catholic equivalents (I don’t know the Novus Ordo mass and Liturgy of the Hours well enough to name the equivalent) if allowed by their bishops, whereas independent conservative churches such as the Plymouth Brethren, the Presbyterians of Northern Ireland, the Reformed Presbyterian Church, also known as the Covenanting Church, the Baptists, Adventists and other pro-life churches could perhaps pray extemporaneously, or otherwise in the case of the Covenanters and other conservative presbyterians follow whatever liturgical procedure is permitted in their respective books of order.
From the perspective of freedom to practice religion, freedom of speech, freedom of expression, Patristics, Church Tradition (Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox) and the Holy Bible the Bournemouth Council has done something I consider to be unethical, unconscionable, morally reprehensible, and an outrage against personal freedom, religious tolerance, and human dignity. Thus I propose that pro-life British Christians should band together, and prudently consider alliances even with other pro-life religions such as Mormonism and Orthodox Judaism, to lawfully protest and seek the repeal of this ill-conceived municipal ordinance.
*In the 19th century led the way in missionary activity, the abolition of slavery, and work against poverty through the efforts of groups such as the Wesleyan-influenced Salvation Army with its beautiful bass bands and uniforms (I could see myself joining if only they offered communion, baptism and other sacraments), and the Ultra High Church Anglicans known as Anglo-Catholics, who provided relief for the poor while being persecuted for daring to wear chasubles in their churches, something later found to not be a violation of the Act of Conformity since, as Rev. Percy Dearmer pointed out, the Ornaments Rubric permitted anything in use during the second year of the reign of King Edward VI, between 1548 and 1549, and that included chasubles.
** The Council of Europe is not to be confused with the European Council or the Council of the European Union, or the European Union itself, despite the fact they share identical flags, for the Council of Europe is a separate entity that manages the implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights, and unlike the EU, all European countries are members except for Belarus, due to capital punishment, and Russia, due to the situation in Ukraine, whereas several European countries including the UK (which famously became the first nation to leave with Brexit), and Switzerland, Norway, Turkey, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Andorra, Albania Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, San Marino, Moldova, the Ukraine, and the Vatican City State, which have never been members, but some have applied for membership (obviously Switzerland, Liechtenstein, which is by treaty afforded military protection by Switzerland, and the Vatican City State are unlikely to apply for membership for obvious reasons).
Likewise, the European Court of Human Rights is different from the European Court of Justice, the former being the court of final appeal in cases that involve alleged violations of the European Convention on Human Rights, and an organ of the Council of Europe, whereas the European Court of Justice is an organ of the European Union and adjudicates disputes over EU laws and regulations and also certain categories of disputes between EU member states.
In the same manner, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is different from the European Parliament, effectively the lower house of the EU legislature, with the Council of the European Union, also called the Council of Ministers, being akin to an upper house. The European Council in turn is comprised of the heads of government of each EU nation, and sets the overall strategic direction and policy of the EU, whereas the European Commission presides over the executive branch, with the President of the European Commission being the highest ranking EU official, akin to the Secretary General of the United Nations, but with much more power. There is also a European Court of Auditors responsible for auditing the accounts, the books if you will, of the European Union, which in the period prior Brexit had refused to sign off on the books for many years. I don’t know if this is still the case. The Eurocracy, as the vast bureaucracy of the EU is complex, and fascinating for someone like me who has an interest in comparative constitutional law. If you find it confusing, you are not alone, but the EU is popular among large segments of the European population, and unpopular with others. I don’t allow myself a political opinion on it - since returning to my old job as a Presbyter in 2019, I have limited my political opinions to issues that affect the lives and religious liberty of Christians, the Christian moral and ethical program, opposition to genocides and religious persecution, and also issues like transportation systems, aerospace policy, and water and power infrastructure which people tend not to be particularly passionate about.
