from Christian Today
A new declaration has been launched by Christians that calls on the UK government and leaders in society and academia to respect human dignity and freedom of conscience.
The 2025 Westminster Declaration has been drawn up by Christians concerned by the deterioration of civil liberties, morality, and the value of human life in the UK in recent years.
It is intended as an update to the 2010 Westminster Declaration in light of the huge changes in the UK since then.
“Some of the choices made by Parliament and others in authority about the nature of human life, family relationships, sex education in schools, end-of-life care, and the use and development of new technologies are having serious consequences,” the declaration reads.
“By ignoring Britain’s Christian heritage we have endangered human life, weakened society, and created a fragmented nation uncoupled from its formative traditions, and without a unifying vision for its future.”
The declaration is divided into seven key areas of concern: freedom of belief and of conscience; the value of human life; marriage, family and children; parents and school education; biological sex and gender; the role of the university; AI and moral reflection.
It warns that democracy in Britain is at serious risk unless freedom of belief, conscience and speech are protected.
“Religion is a protected characteristic, of equal standing with the eight other characteristics stated as having protection under law. We oppose therefore any attempt to subordinate religious freedom to the demands of activist or political groups seeking to assert dominance,” it states.
Elsewhere, it deplores “the current epidemic of family instability” and says that separation and divorce have become “too easily available” and “normalised”. It calls for a strengthening of marriage and family life instead.