Is
the Bible a 'hate book'? Andrea Williams comments on the recent hearing of Barry
Trayhorn at the Employment Appeal
Tribunal.
Is the Bible 'hate speech'? Of course not, but of late, this is a thought
that has crossed my mind.
If the current drift in the law is maintained the Bible will soon be
declared a 'hate book' that discriminates against vulnerable classes of people.
The words of the Bible are being rejected in our nation.
Such a thought would have been inconceivable 20 years ago. The Bible used
to be respected as the book that set the moral and legal standards of our
society. Go back just over 60 years to Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation Oath; the
Bible is called "the
most valuable thing that this world affords...Here is Wisdom; This is the royal
Law; these are the lively Oracles of God".
Christians were seen as people of honour; moral integrity and
care.
This has changed.
A recent case of ours has exposed the irrational, illiberal and
anti-Christian society in which we now live.
Barry Trayhorn is an ordained Pentecostal Minister who worked in the
gardens at HMP Littlehey, a prison for sex offenders. He loves the Lord and
through him many prisoners have come to know Jesus Christ. He was a regular
volunteer at the Chapel service and the prison chaplain relied on him to cover
many of the services.
During one such service in the Prison Chapel he read from 1
Corinthians 6:9-11 which
says:
Do
you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be
deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
homosexuals, nor
sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
After saying these words, he said to the congregation of
prisoners:
"You may want to complain about this, but this is the word of God. God
loves you and wants to forgive you"
A prisoner complained against Rev Trayhorn, saying that those words from
the bible violated the Prison's Equality Policies.
There are a number of sex offenders at HMP Littlehey: heterosexual and
homosexual sex criminals, many of which have been imprisoned for violent rape
and sexual assault on adults and minors. One such prisoner complained. The
Prison began disciplinary proceedings against Rev Trayhorn for "homophobic
statements". One sin only was singled out – what about drunkenness or
theft?
The prison chaplain, instead of testifying for his friend Barry testified
in writing against him, saying that he should have been more sensitive regarding
his choice of scripture.
On 6 November 2014, the Prison Governor held:
"On Saturday 31 May 2014 during a Pentecostal Service whilst you were
leading worship as a Chaplaincy volunteer you made homophobic statements
…
"Whilst
it is not contested that you quoted a passage from the Bible, the passage was
provocative especially when you consider the environment in which you delivered
such message…"
So another case in the history of the Christian Legal Centre commences.
You couldn't make it up; most of our cases would not have been believed
20 years ago. During the case last week, the judge, The Honourable Mrs Justice
Slade DBE, asked a rhetorical question – the prison has a duty of care to the
prisoners; they are 'vulnerable class' and shouldn't their vulnerability be
taken into account when reading such verses from the bible? She mused that it
may be alright for this verse to be read in St Paul's Cathedral but not in
Littlehey Prison where there are vulnerable prisoners.
And so we have a Pentecostal Minister disciplined for quoting from the
Bible during a chapel service! To add to our long list of
cases....
Why?
Because the liberal elite do not understand the Bible; they don't know
how to read it. Counsel for the prison said that this verse from the bible
poured moral opprobrium on the homosexual. What about the thief and the drunk?
And what about the hope and forgiveness that was being
offered?
Both he and the judge spoke of how and where the bible was being quoted
from; how it would be received; and whether it would offend.
And so they make the bible a 'hate book'. The bible challenges sinful
lifestyles and it challenges sinful people. The passage in 1 Corinthians singles
out fornicators,
idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, the covetous, drunkards,
revilers, and extortioners.
Of course, if they make the Bible a hate book, what of the people who believe in
hate?
Christians will be the sole religious group singled out as transmitters
of hate; other faiths will be respected.
Christians are being barred from public office; Social Workers (see Felix
Ngole), a child care teacher (see Sarah
Mbuyi); a Magistrate (see Richard
Page) and more.
There would be little hope for such people in modern Britain without the
Christian Legal Centre.
We know, at Christian Concern, where this will go and we have a window of
opportunity to preserve our once great nation. Our time is
short.
Once again, I call on you to join with us to stand with
us.
Andrea
Williams.