Prince Charles confirms government attack on religious rights

The government in the United Kingdom has gone back and forth for several years already on a planned attack on religious rights – through a ban on so-called “conversion therapy.”

That generally is considered talk therapy that counsels people away from unwanted same-sex attractions and it has generated more hate from LGBT activists that probably any other issue.

They have advocated complete bans including Christian pastors’ prayers against such behavior.

UK government commissions and panels routinely have recommended such programs, but officials usually back off a short time later because of the religious rights implications.

Now, however, in the “Queen’s Speech,” delivered to government officials by Prince Charles on behalf of the queen, it was confirm legislation to ban such counseling will be proposed.

According to The Christian Institute, which is supporting a campaign called “Let Us Pray,” it already is warning legislators that adopting that plan would literally create “an LGBT blasphemy law, criminalizing the mere expression of opinions.”

Let Us Pray spokesman Simon Calvert said that everyone “deserves to be protected from verbal and physical abuse,” and he said that’s already being done through existing law.

The Let Us Pray organization explained in a statement that no details about the plans were revealed.

The group explains, “The aim of the ban is to outlaw harmful practices against LGB people. But evidence to justify a new law is severely lacking. Often-cited abusive practices, such as ‘corrective rape’ and ‘electroshock treatment’ are clearly already illegal.”

It explained, “Instead, many activists are seeking to criminalize the ordinary work of churches – including prayer, preaching and pastoral care relating to sexual ethics. Activists have been clear that such a ban should outlaw advocating celibacy or encouraging people not to have sex outside marriage.”

It could reflect the aggressive political agenda that already has appeared in Australia where one law bans anyone from “not affirming someone’s gender identity.”

The campaign warned, “It’s important to note that the mainstream Christian sexual ethic is at risk of being outlawed, regardless of whether gender identity is included in the ban.”

Calvert added, “A leading human rights QC has warned that an ill-considered conversion therapy law could breach fundamental human rights, cutting across innocent, every-day Christian practices such as prayer, pastoral conversations, preaching and even parenting.”

He warned that hard-core opponents of Christian are demanding that the ban “include teaching abstinence and ‘gentle, non-coercive prayer,'” as well as “repentance – a core Christian practice.”

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