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Christian Voice (UK)

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There is an unconnected organisation called Christian Voice in the USA.

Christian Voice (CV) is a Christian prayer and action group based in the UK.

The group states it is striving, through prayer and public campaigning, for 'national repentance'. [1] CV is led by Stephen Green (a former Chairman of the Conservative Family Campaign), with Lord Ashbourne as its patron. Green is the group's spokesperson, with no members besides Green ever quoted or named in statements. Membership details for Christian Voice are uncertain as the organisation is unwilling to provide information on numbers. Christian Voice has policy positions ranging from the far left to the far right of the UK political spectrum[citation needed].

The group has frequently been criticised by secular and Christian figures. John Cryer MP, called them "fundamentalist thugs," whilst the Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church called Christian Voice "a disgrace". [2] said they claimed to represent Christians in the UK and then said that was "absurd"[3]

Views

Christian Voice strongly opposes abortion,[4] homosexuality[5][6], no-fault divorce[7], 'safer sex' education, and use of the Scottish Gaelic language for broadcasting[8]. CV believes in restorative justice[citation needed] and also the reintroduction of the death penalty for those convicted for murder on overwhelming evidence.[9] CV has called on the monarch to base British law on the Bible.[9]

Christian voice claims that Islam is not an Abrahamic religion. [10]

Controversy

Jerry Springer: The Opera

Christian Voice was behind much of the controversy in the UK surrounding Jerry Springer: The Opera and a transmission of a performance by the BBC in 2005. The group claimed that the production was blasphemous in its depiction of religious figures such as Jesus, Mary and God. The group maintained a presence outside the Cambridge Theatre in London where it ran. It then mounted protests outside every theatre on the ill-fated 2006 run of the show, attributing the financial disaster of the tour to divine intervention rather than its own actions.

Christian Voice started a campaign for people to complain to the BBC and published the home addresses and telephone numbers of two BBC executives on their web site, Jana Bennett (Director of Television) and Roly Keating (Controller of BBC Two). Mr Keating subsequently denied a newspaper story that he had gone into hiding and had received death threats.[11] Nevertheless, the 'death threats' story still circulates.

On 8 January 2007, submissions were made on behalf of Stephen Green at Horseferry Road Magistrates Court to pursue private prosecutions for blasphemy against the Director General of the BBC Mark Thompson and the show's producer - Jonathan Thoday.[12] A summons was refused on 30 January 2007 due to lack of prima facie evidence that a crime had been committed, and the provisions of the 1968 Theatres Act, which enshrines the right of free expression in theatrical works.[13] An appeal to the High Court was dismissed on 5 December 2007.[14]. On 5 March 2008 the House of Lords rejected the call to hear an appeal of the High Courts decision because "it did not raise an arguable point of law of general public importance"[15]

Mark Thomson and Jonathan Thoday were awarded £90,000 costs against Stephen Green. On 26 June 2008 Christian Voice announced that Stephen Green could not afford to pay the costs and faces bankruptcy [16]

Maggie's Centres

CV has been criticised for its role in causing a cancer charity, Maggie's Centres, to decline a four-figure donation from the proceeds of a special performance of Jerry Springer: The Opera. The charity had been due to receive £10 per ticket for an afternoon gala. A statement by Maggie's claims that Christian Voice had threatened to picket their centres and the action by Christian Voice would be "effectively blocking our work"[1]. .

Opposition to homosexuality and transexualism

The group has been involved in campaigns against the Gay Police Association (GPA). Christian Voice are opposed to police officers participating in gay pride marches, and in 2003 wrote to the Chief Constable of each force which allowed its officers to march in uniform at Pride events. The organisation published the replies on its website.[17] For the past 2 years, a small group led by Stephen Green have held protests during London's Pride Parade. Similar protests have been held in Brighton, Leeds and Belfast.

On 2 September 2006, Green was arrested while handing out anti-homosexual leaflets at the Cardiff Mardi Gras. He was detained for four hours, and charged with public order offences which were later dropped.[18]

Christian Voice also campaigned against gender recognition legislation describing it as legislating a lie.

Views on abortion

The group claims abortion is the wilful murder of a living human being and compares it to the Nazi genocide.

Marital Rape

The group wants to overturn the law on Marital Rape claiming that vows taken in front of God maintains that the wife should grant the husband sex and vice versa.

Other

On 24 June 2005, Christian Voice's bankers, the Co-operative Bank, told the organisation to take its account elsewhere as Christian Voice's diverse stance on homosexuality was in conflict with the bank's ethical policies of diversity.[19][6]

Shortly after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in August 2005 killing over 1600 residents and rendering hundreds of thousands homeless, Green issued a statement claiming that this was the result of God's wrath and had brought "purity" (Katrina='purity') to the city.[20]

Media coverage

Since attempting to censor Jerry Springer: The Opera, the group has received increased coverage in the national media, although this has not always been to their advantage. After the appearance of Green on Question Time in September 2005, the group was condemned by a number of other church bodies, including the Rev Dr David Peel, then Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church. Dr Peel said:

It is a matter of some regret that … the BBC should choose to undermine the reputation of Question Time by giving a platform to a small, self-selecting group distinguished by its claim to be a prophetic voice in this country.[3]

As a result of similar complaints, the BBC reviewed its policies towards the group and stopped inviting it onto its programmes.[citation needed]

See also

References

  1. ^ Christian Voice
  2. ^ BBC NEWS | Magazine | A voice in the wilderness
  3. ^ a b "BBC faces question time over Christian Voice". Ekklesia. 2005-09-29. Retrieved 2007-09-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ Radical Christians to target abortion clinics - The Times 2005-02-26
  5. ^ Christian Voice director escapes prosecution over anti-gay literature - The Independent 2006-09-29
  6. ^ a b Co-op bank bars Christian group - BBC News
  7. ^ Christian Voice: Press Release
  8. ^ Christian Voice Press Release - 2008-06-28
  9. ^ a b Bible References: Adultery - Stephen Green, Christian Voice Website November 2003
  10. ^ What is Islam? - Christian Voice Website Article on Islam
  11. ^ BBC boss in hiding | the Daily Mail
  12. ^ Christian Voice: Press Release
  13. ^ Christian Voice: Press Release
  14. ^ BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Springer opera court fight fails
  15. ^ Springer case dismissed by lords - BBC News
  16. ^ Christian Voice: Press Release
  17. ^ Christian Voice's 2003 correspondence with Chief Constables
  18. ^ BBC NEWS | Wales | Anti-gay leaflets charge dropped
  19. ^ Co-op asks Christian Voice to quit - The Guardian 2005-06-24
  20. ^ Christian Voice: Press Release
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