Baptists back blasphemy abolition
Ekklesia reports that senior figures in the Baptist movement have joined the growing chorus of Christians calling for an end to the archaic blasphemy laws.
Rev Sian Murray Williams, tutor at Bristol Baptist College, said in the Baptist Times:
The provisions of the blasphemy law were designed to prevent giving offence to members of the state Church. As a dissenting Baptist, I’m wary of any law which shores up the privileged position of the Church. The right to religious freedom and to the expression of faith, Christian or otherwise, is now protected by other legal provision.
I think that the law is not only anachronistic but is unjust in a religiously plural society and should be repealed.
Bit of a double-edged sword really.
It’s backfired royally on “Dog Shit” Green, but like Rev Williams suggests “expression of faith, Christian or otherwise, is now protected by other legal provision.” and it shouldn’t be. While no one should have the right to persecute a person on the grounds of their faith, we should retain the right to critique and dissemintate all religion at its core.
I can see it coming… just like the end of slavery, the liberation of women, the social acceptance of homosexuality and the promotion of democracy and personal liberties, we’ll have to add the abolition of the blasphemy law to the lengthy list of things for which we have Christianity to thank!
I’m surprised that wanker D’Souza isn’t already peddling this one.
I suspect good old sectarianism, rather than freedom of speech, is the motive here. From a Baptist point of view, the real problem with the UK blasphemy law is that it only protects the C of E!
As for Baptists and other faiths – can’t see how a rabidly evangelical cult who think they have a god-given right to convert other faiths and even other Christian denominations can have ‘respect’ for them.