Planned anti-extremism orders (EDOs) are a disaster area both legally and from a religious perspective, a lawyer and theological college principal said in mid-June.
The Revd Dr Mike Ovey, who leads Oak Hill Theological College and was formerly a Parliamentary draftsman, said that declaring Jesus is the only way to salvation could fall foul of the EDOs.
David Cameron, speaking in May, said the Government will ‘turn the page’ on a ‘passively tolerant society’ which says ‘as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone’. Home Secretary Theresa May was forced to deny that EDOs would catch people who do not support same sex marriage.
Dr Ovey said the Government is saying: ‘Trust us with your civil liberties [but] human experience tells us the last thing you ever want to do is trust a government with your civil liberties.’
‘Is a police officer going to listen to me saying that Jesus is the only way in a Muslim part of the East End? The thing with a law like this is that there are going to be some people saying “I’m not going to run the risk” and someone like me who is going to run the risk is going to look more extreme’, he commented.
