Like many Christians I’ve signed petitions, written to my MP and members of the House of Lords, and spoken to my local councillor. All this to try and ensure that new, anti-Christian laws do not get onto the statute book. Sometimes we’ve been succcessful, sometimes not. Often it feels a little like King Canute against the tide.
But there is another way. The way the world gets the law changed. The strategy goes something like this.
- Get the government to see that there is a problem: drink, drugs, prositution, gambling. Whatever you have an interest in.
- Convince them that the best way to tackle the problem is to encourage it.
Sounds crazy? It seems to be accepted UK government policy. Yesterday, the government announced it was considering legalising brothels. Why would they want to do that? The home office minister tells us “we have got to have strong mechanisms to reduce prostitution“.
Tomorrow it seems it will announce that it will not be reverting cannabis back to a class B drug. It had considered the move saying the decriminalisation of cannabis in 2004 had caused some confusion in the minds of the public. Instead the government will “warn young people that cannabis is neither legal nor safe”, despite the fact they they can no longer be arrested for possessing it.
For years the government has been acknowledging problems with binge-drinking, particularly among the young. Last November that the government’s new strategy to clamp down on binge-drinking was implemented. Their solution? To allow pubs to open 24 hours a day, rather than for restricted periods.
And finally, do you remember the governments grand plan to reduce problem gambling? Yes, they’re going to legalise massive super-casinos, “open 24 hours a day with hundreds of slot machines paying out unlimited prizes”.
The next thing you know they’ll be trying to protect religious freedoms by banning religious speech. No wait, they wouldn’t, would they?…
#1 by Nick K on 1 August, 2006 - 5:44 pm
Quote
And just what is wrong with the legalising of brothels? Prostitiutes, if their profession becomes legal, will be entitled to workers rights, health and safety standards, etc etc, and will generally be better protected by our police and legal system. Why do you want to deny fellow human beings the same protection and rights as the rest of us?
They may be sinners in your eyes, but you have to admit that if it wasn’t for prostitution, cases of rape would be much, much higher. And rape, in my un-humble opinion, is a FAR greater sin than prostitution.
You need to appreciate that, whatever the law, there will ALWAYS be brothels – making them illegal just drives them underground and makes them less safe for the women working there.
The choice to turn to Jesus isn’t made by all of us, and whilst I have the highest respect for almost all forms of religious commitment, I do not condemn those who have not made that choice and live in what you call “sin”. Gamblers, drink & drug users, prostitues, need to be free to do those things – if they did not, there would be nothing to turn to Jesus FROM. The CHOICE to turn to Jesus is one of the most important aspects of christianity – and the harder the choice & the harder the struggle to remain living by Jesus’ teaching, the holier and more rewarding those choice become.
Yours,
Nick
PS – where in the bible does it say drinkers, drug users and prostitutes are evil anyway?