Hundreds of evangelical leaders have signed a petition making it clear they will put duty to God above obedience to the law if legislation on ‘conversion therapy’ makes Christian pastoral practice illegal.
The church ministers and pastoral workers from many denominations say that looking at government proposals reveals ‘a clear possibility that our duty as ministers’ will ‘be criminalised’. They say Christian parents could also be prosecuted.
The letter – signed among others by en editor David Baker, and circulated to en readers via email – says the category of ‘conversion therapy’ is ‘so broad as to be essentially meaningless’. The statement adds: ‘It should not be a criminal offence for us as Christian ministers to persuade, to teach and to help people … live as orthodox Christians.’
But the letter also says: ‘In our churches we welcome and show love to many people who have different experience and views, including same-sex attraction and forms of gender transition. We always seek to act in love, with gentleness and respect … and never with any form of coercion or control.” As en went to press, the consultation deadline had been extended to 4 February.
