Conversion Therapy Ban of Religious Activities Looms in the British Isles
by Rick Plasterer, Juicy Ecumenism:
Earlier articles by this writer have highlighted the threat of so-called “conversion therapy” laws, that prohibit counseling against homosexuality and transgenderism. People often do not understand that what is prohibited is not only coercive practices (already illegal but highlighted by LGBT activists and the legacy media), and professional counseling (although that should be legal as a matter of religious and free speech). Rather, any admonition against LGBT behavior, including religious admonition, is illegal. Thus, religious instruction in Christian sexual morality that prohibits LGBT behavior is forbidden both in the home and in the church.
Such bans have been enacted over much of the West, in particular, Canada, France, Victoria State, Australia, and (for minors only) in Germany. They represent a staggering loss of neutrality by the state, and really amount to viewpoint discrimination, since typically they specifically allow a counselor to encourage identification with the opposite sex, but criminalize counseling to identify with one’s own biological sex. Indeed, a simple admonition to anyone to turn from LGBT behavior could punished as a crime. Thus, parental rights are sacrificed where a child identifies with the opposite sex and demands “gender transitioning.” Parents can suffer a five year prison sentence in Canada, and a ten year sentence in Victoria, Australia for opposing gender transitioning.
As noted in earlier articles, the devolved governments in the United Kingdom (Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland) favor a conversion therapy ban including religious practices, but not the national government. Since it is not clear that they can enact a broad ban covering religious activity on their own, they are currently stopped from acting. While the Westminster government has been promising a ban for some time, it notably does not favor banning “the ordinary work of churches.” It is caught between activists’ demands and a vigorous Christian opposition.
It does appear that religious activities will not be criminalized in the United Kingdom in the immediate future. The ban was vigorously attacked in the House of Lords in February, and on March 1, a private member’s conversion therapy bill was defeated in the House of Commons. It was notably attacked for lack of clarity and for having no clear standard to distinguish between illegal conversion therapy and acceptable private conversation. But even to discuss what should be acceptable and unacceptable speech (particularly in private speech) already amounts to conceding to a gross violation of free speech. Commendably, one MP said that the government should not interfere with religious counselors trying to help people align their behavior with their religious belief.
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