Sexual Orientation Regulations Upheld! Good or Bad? (Updated)

So the House of Lords upheld the introduction of the Sexual Orientation Regulations. Is this good or bad from a Christian perspective and will it adversely impact Christians for wanting to be true to their faith and not compromising?

This of course is a difficult question to answer until any inevitable test case is brought before the courts. However as usual in the media there has been a lot of hype and misrepresentation on both sides and a staggering but understandable total lack of understanding of the bible and what is sais. I think there has been a lot of alarmist reaction from Christians who probably haven't looked too deeply into it and are just going along with what they have been asked to do. However what caught my attention to it being an issue was that the protest and petition to the Queen was organised by the Lawyers Christian Fellowship. If anyone should understand the implications of this law then it is surely lawyers! So there must be some truth to the claims that Christians may fall foul of the law in some situations.

There have been several situations quoted where this may be the case:

• Christian Bed and Breakfast Owner being forced to allow a gay couple to stay there.
  
• Printing Company owned by Christians being forced to print literature promoting gay events or lifestyle.
• Church premises being forced to allow bookings from gay organisations.
• Church ministers being forced to bless same sex unions.

Each of these presents a a slightly different ethical question.

• The Bed and Breakfast owner is renting out their own house and surely should have every right to say who should or shouldn't be allowed to stay in their house. However as has been pointed out they must apply the same policy to unmarried heterosexual couples and certainly to anyone suspected of adultery. Be consistent and don't pick and choose biblical values.
  
• For a printing company refusing to print literature deemed to promote homosexuality again consistency must be applied. Do they print other literature that clearly goes against other biblical principles. But again if they refuse to print such material surely it must be their choice and they are the ones to lose out by not gaining the business. The person requesting the business can simply go to someone who will print their stuff.
• Church premises I think is slightly different. If a church isn't seen to uphold Christian moral principles then who is going to. By allowing premises owned by any church to be used for activities exclusive to the gay community could be interpreted as the church condoning gay sexual activity. Whether it be a gay activist group, gay 'civil partnership' reception event etc...
  
• The Christian blessing of same sex unions must also be refused for the same reasons as above. If the church is seen to compromise more than it already does then any opinion on anything becomes less and less valued.
  

In all the above issues and any others it must come down to the way the situation is handled in the individual cases. A Christian must at all times act with love, compassion and respect for the dignity of anyone they come into contact with regardless of sexual orientation.

If a person is 'gay' then they are still a person due the dignity of any human being. Being gay may not be a thing a person feels they have a choice over but having sex is. What is condemned in the bible is homosexual sex or Sodomy, as is sex outside of marriage and specifically mentioned in the 10 commandments, Adultery. Therefore any form of social care and support etc... should be offered to people regardless of sexual orientation. But should a Christian be forced to compromise biblical values and be seen to condone what is clearly stated as Sin in the bible as long as they are consistent in applying that to the other 'Sins' as well. It is not condemning the person or saying they can't go elsewhere but it is asking that the Christians religious beliefs be respected.

Gay rights campaigners like 'Peter Tatchell' are quick to condemn anyone as homophobic if they have the audacity to disagree with him. But surely this is hypocritical since he wants equal rights, doesn't he?. ie: the right to live the way he chooses. Therefore to say someone else can't also have the right to say they disagree and say Homosexuality goes against God's original design is definitely discriminatory. I am totally for laws that protect an individuals right to not be discriminated against on grounds of race, gender, age and sexuality as long as that doesn't require me to actively do something, promote something or say something that goes against biblical values.

I cannot and could not force anyone to be a Christian and believe what I believe. But equally I surely must have the right to live according to those values as long as those values don't physically harm someone else.

I signed the petition to the Queen. Not because I want these laws necessarily stopped and neither do Christians. I signed it because I think the government needs to know that a great many people still hold to the Christian principles that this countries laws were founded on. That Christians have had enough of being side lined in shaping this country and that we have a voice and will stand up for what we believe.

How long is this going to go on. How much more is this government going to keep telling us what we can think and say. How much longer can the rights of individuals to free speech be eroded before we have no real freedom left. These heavy handed laws based on fear and political correctness are degrading peoples ability to apply common sense. I fear it won't be long before Christians will be persecuted in this country for standing up and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ because it offends someones beliefs. That was just a general rant about our meddling nanny state government and not necessarily because of this bill!

Would the real Christian Believers please stand up, please stand up!

For an alternative and very balanced Christian view on this click here!

Also click here for a more in depth discussion from the same person, very sensible stuff!