Phillipson’s platitudes won't protect parents from prosecution

The Christian Institute, Greater Love and Affinity have written to the Minister for Women and Equalities challenging her assurances that the Government’s proposed conversion practices ban will not threaten religious freedom or parental rights.

Their letter follows an article by Bridget Phillipson in The Independent, in which she claimed that the draft Conversion Practices Bill “will not impinge on” freedom of expression, religious practice or decisions on how to parent. Citing what she described as a high legal threshold for prosecution, she said that challenging conversations between parents and children, or a parent’s refusal to affirm a child’s identity, would not be caught.

But, as the Christian groups argue, these promises are not borne out by the wording of the legislation: “There is nothing on the face of the Bill which guarantees that religious teaching, pastoral care, prayer, or the ordinary work of churches could not be subject to prosecution. Courts will apply the statutory words, not a newspaper article.”

The groups also expressed concern about “an apparent lack of religious literacy in the framing of the proposals”. In particular, they said that “the deliberate use of the word ‘conversion’ – a foundational Christian term describing the work of the Holy Spirit in turning a person to Christ – to label the conduct to be criminalised is particularly ill-judged”.

The draft proposals are currently being examined by a Joint Committee of MPs and Peers. The Committee’s report, expected by 22 January, will give the Government a crucial opportunity to reconsider its plans.

Simon Calvert, The Christian Institute’s Deputy Director and one of the signatories to the letter, described the proposals as “one of the most troubling attempts at censorship we’ve seen” and called for them to be shelved.

He asked: “Shouldn’t a pastor be allowed to advise a congregant not to leave his wife and family in order to explore a new ‘sexuality’? Shouldn’t a church leader be allowed to teach the positive, affirming message that no one is made in the ‘wrong body’? It’s clear that this legislation goes much too far into policing reasonable conversations and statements of belief.”

Other organisations have also challenged Phillipson’s claims, with Sex Matters and Gay Men’s Network both writing to the Minister.