Christian Voice Press Release 2pm Saturday 1st October 2005

PREMIER RADIO ATTACKS CHRISTIAN VOICE

There has been a reaction to the astonishing public attack launched by Peter Kerridge of the London Christian station 'Premier Radio' and John Buckeridge of the Premier-owned 'Christianity Today' and 'Youthwork' magazines on Stephen Green and Christian Voice. In a Press Release on Thursday Kerridge and Buckeridge announced they had complained to the BBC about Stephen being on Question Time, using words like 'extreme' and 'inflammatory', in a press release in the 'news' section of the Premier Radio website:

http://www.premier.org.uk/engine.cfm?i=109&pre=45

Stephen Green said today: "I emailed Peter Kerridge yesterday evening, but have had no reply from him. I have tried to phone him as well. The Lord Jesus said: "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:35) The Apostle Paul speaks of "Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Eph 4:3) I can't see any evidence of any love or unity of Spirit whatsoever in the Premier Press Release. Christian Voice has always supported Premier in their various battles, simply because they are fellow believers. We would defend and unite behind Christianity Today if they came under fire. To have Peter Kerridge and John Buckeridge reward that support by condemning us out of hand, with no prior warning, in public, in this unbecoming way, certainly feels like a betrayal. I wonder in passing if they have any example of anything 'extreme' or 'inflammatory' I actually said on Question Time? Do they take exception to my denunciation of torture and enforced abortion in China? Or my call for political leaders to be truthful, able and God-fearing? Or my description of Jerry Springer the Opera as blasphemous?

"To be honest, I am still shocked by the attack. I had no idea there was such animosity to me and to Christian Voice festering in the Premier Radio headquarters. Evangelical Christians are used to attacks from the world (John 15:18), but to be hated and stabbed in the back by one's brothers is very hard to take.

"Embarrassingly, in complaining about me being on Question Time, Premier were in the doubtful company of Brighton gay rights campaigners http://www.theargus.co.uk/the_argus/archive/2005/09/29/NEWS110ZM.html , Brighton and Hove Green Party http://www.brightonandhovegreenparty.org.uk/h/n/NEWS/press_releases/ALL/308/ , the heavy who threw Walter Wolfgang out of the Labour Party conference http://www.theargus.co.uk/the_argus/archive/2005/09/30/NEWS10ZM.html and a Mr Bartley, who is so keen to attack us he doesn't bother to check his facts: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_050929green.shtml How sad it is that a Christian Radio station should ally themselves with opponents of righteousness and with those who detest the Lord Jesus Christ and the Gospel."

ENDS