Petition to: The Archbishop of Canterbury – the Archbishop of Westminster – the President of the Methodist Church – the Moderator of the URC
We call upon the leaders of the Church to be faithful to the Gospel as revealed in Jesus Christ, and to defend the faith.
Petition from Voice for Justice UK:
We stand on the words of 2 Timothy 3:16. “All of scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…’
In recent years, to accommodate the changing values of the world, we have seen core teachings of the Bible challenged and rewritten. The justification frequently given is that scriptural interpretation changes as society develops and our understanding grows. Supporters of this stance frequently cite the example of changed social attitudes towards slavery, which in the Old Testament was regarded as normal – so much so that the ownership and treatment of slaves was carefully regulated in Exodus, Deuteronomy, and Leviticus. Yet today, in the Christianised West, we regard slavery as wrong because any form of bondage denies the fundamental dignity and right to freedom of every man, woman and child, as made in the image of God. Although modern day trafficking is growing, with an estimated 46 million slaves worldwide, it is hard – if not impossible – to fault this analysis.
There is a clear difference, however, between social injustice and rules that arise from the nature of our creation; in particular the ‘rules’ relating to our existence, which determine the relationship of men and women, and our relationship to and with God. Genesis tells us that God created man and woman, together and jointly, in His own image, so that together we complement and complete each other. For this reason, Genesis says, a man and woman shall be joined together in lifelong and exclusive union, as a support to each other, and to care jointly for any children that result from their union. All forms of behaviour that damage that union, society, and our relationship with God are expressly prohibited; as, for example, fornication, adultery, incest, homosexuality, paedophilia, bestiality. They are forbidden behaviours because they cause damage and stop us from becoming fully the people God wants us to be. They harm individuals, with adverse health consequences (both physical and mental), and, if unchecked, they harm society at large.
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