Christian Voice (UK)


 * There is an unconnected organisation called Christian Voice in the USA.

Christian Voice, formerly known as Repent UK, is an organisation based in the United Kingdom which claims to be striving, through prayer and public campaigning, for 'national repentance'. Christian Voice claims to follow the Word of God and the teachings of the Bible. It is led by Stephen Green (a former Chairman of the Conservative Family Campaign), with Lord Ashbourne as its patron. Christian Voice mixes politics and religion in a manner and style similar to Christian organisations in the Bible Belt of the Southern United States. It also opposes the tolerance and inclusiveness of much of modern Christianity, including a more accepting attitude to other religions. Its policy positions lean towards the far Right of the political spectrum.

Views
It claims that older, more traditional society created a far more stable, safe, 'God-fearing', and wealthier lifestyle for rural Middle England. Christian Voice opposes many aspects of twenty-first century British society, such as abortion, tolerance towards homosexuality and no-fault divorce. They would like to see divorce fault-based, with divorce settlements dependent upon conduct and they call on the monarch to base British law on the Bible. For example, they object to the proposals to end the practice of male-preference primogeniture for the succession to the Crown of the United Kingdom .They advocate British withdrawal from the European Union, claiming that British membership of the EU prevents Queen Elizabeth II from exercising her Coronation oath in which she pledged to be God's sole representative in the United Kingdom.

Christian Voice strongly opposes 'safer sex' education, and claim that condoms do not provide complete protection against all sexually transmitted infections. The group beilieves that the availability of contraceptives encourages promiscuity. Christian Voice believes in restorative justice although they also believe in reintroducing the death penalty for murder. They demand that convictions be based on the evidence of two or three witnesses, regardless of forensic evidence, after the Biblical pattern.

Membership details for Christian Voice remain vague, with the organisation unwilling to provide information regarding numbers. It is unclear how far its membership extends beyond Green and Ashbourne.

Jerry Springer: The Opera
Christian Voice was behind much of the controversy in the UK surrounding the BBC and the broadcast in 2005 of Jerry Springer: The Opera. The group claimed that the production was blasphemous in its depiction of religious figures such as Jesus, Mary and God. The group maintained a presence outside the Cambridge Theatre in London where it ran, attending on the last four weekends giving out evangelistic leaflets.

Christian Voice started a campaign for people to send complaints to the BBC and published the home addresses and telephone numbers of several BBC executives on their web site, including Jana Bennett (Director of Television), and Roly Keating (Controller of BBC Two). Mr Keating received death threats as a result. In recent times, more UK theatres signed up to host Jerry Springer - The Opera due to popularity and enthusiasm from the public.

On 8 January 2007, submissions were made on behalf of Stephen Green at Horseferry Road Magistrates Court in an attempt to pursue private prosecutions for blasphemy against the Director General of the BBC Mark Thompson and the show's producer, Jonathan Thoday. A summons was refused on 30 January 2007, as a result of lack of prima facie evidence that a crime had been committed, and the provisions of the 1968 Theatres Act, which enshrines the right of free expression in theatrical works.

Maggie's Centres
The group has been criticised for its role in causing a cancer charity, Maggie's Centres, to decline a four-figure donation that came from the proceeds of a special performance of Jerry Springer - The Opera. The charity had been due to receive £10 per ticket for an afternoon gala. A statement by Maggie's claims that Christian Voice had threatened to "picket our centres" and that the action by Christian Voice would be "effectively blocking our work".

Homophobia and transphobia
The group has been involved in a number of campaigns against the Gay Police Association (GPA). Christian Voice are opposed to police officers participating in gay pride marches, and in 2003 wrote to the Chief Constable of every force which allowed its officers to march in uniform at Pride events. The organisation published the replies on its website. They included:


 * "For your information, I have not allowed my officers to attend this event on 26 July 2003 for the simple reason that I believe that uniform should only be worn when on duty. As a lifelong practicing Catholic... I must advise you that I find your views morally offensive and totally reprehensible and I would be grateful if you would cease any further communication with me." Mr Terence Grange, Chief Constable, Dyfed-Powys Police.

And:


 * "Owing to the unreasonable, inaccurate, and abusive nature of your letters, I am afraid I am unable to provide you with a comprehensive response. Your voice is not Christian." Clive Wofendale, Assistant Chief Constable for Mr Richard Brunstrom, Chief Constable, North Wales Police."

Christian Voice believes that homosexuality is an objective psychological disorder and treatable, and encourages lesbians, bisexuals and gay men to contact various controversial "ex-gay" organisations. This belief is unsupported by the medical establishment.

Christian Voice have also campaigned against gender recognition legislation, in accordance with their belief that gender reassignment surgery represents unacceptable interference with the human body as God's creation. They state that people who identify as transsexuals suffer from psychological disorders and imply that they have been abused and neglected as children.

For the past 2 years, a small group led by Stephen Green have held protests during London's Pride Parade but the numbers of demonstrators (usually grouped behind a police officer outside the Institute of Directors on Pall Mall) is on a steady decrease.

Views on Abortion
Christian Voice has been the subject of criticism over its stance on abortion. The group claims to draw on both the Bible and modern medical knowledge in regarding abortion as the wilful murder of a living human being and comparing it to the Nazi genocide. It calls on the church to offer 'hospitality' to women who allegedly feel pressured into having an abortion, and has stated an intention to hold vigils outside abortion clinics to pray for those entering, "as soon as the Lord wills."

The group often undertakes actions with the UK Life League, a group led by a former Orangeman, James Dowson, with convictions for breach of the peace and possession of an offensive weapon. The group has stood accused of using abusive and intimidatory tactics described by the police National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit as "akin to those of animal rights extremists" and of fabricating images of aborted foetuses.

Views on Islam
Christian voice states that Islam is not an Abrahamic religion:

"... in the Qu'ran, Allah denies the Crucifixion and denies that Jesus Christ ever was and is the Son of God. Whoever it is that Muslims worship, he sure is not the God whom Jews and Christians acknowledge as the Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth." Green has also stated that Christian Voice will attempt to use racial and religious hatred laws in an attempt to ban the Qur'an. He commented to The Guardian: "If the Qur'an is not hate speech, I don't know what is. We will report staff who sell it. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that unbelievers must be killed.

Other
On 24 June 2005, Christian Voice's bankers, the Co-Operative Bank, told the organisation to take its account elsewhere as Christian Voice's homophobic stance was in conflict with the bank's own policy of support for diversity. In response, Christian Voice have issued a statement calling for Christians to boycott the Co-operative Bank.

Shortly after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in August 2005 killing over 1600 residents, Green issued a statement claiming that this was the result of God's wrath and had brought "purity" to the city, even though several Bible colleges were gutted and the gay-favoured French Quarter suffered only minor wind damage and flooding. .

On Saturday 2 September 2006, Stephen Green of Christian Voice was arrested while handing out anti-homosexual leaflets at the Cardiff Mardi Gras. He was detained for four hours, charged with public order offences and the case was remanded until 28 September, when all charges were dropped.

Christian Voice advocates the prosecution and stoning of 'blasphemers' as 'a matter of due process'.

In 2007, the group issued a press release dismissing as a "tarts jab" a new vaccine, Gardasil, against the human papilloma virus, which is responsible for, amongst other illnesses, fatal forms of cervical cancer.

Media coverage
Since attempting to censor Jerry Springer, the Opera, the group, through their "National Director", has received increased coverage in the national media, though this has not always been to their advantage, particularly on the BBC's Today Programme. As a result of the appearance of Green on Question Time in September 2005, the group has been condemned by the Rev Dr David Peel, then Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church, and by a number of other church bodies. Dr Peel, said : "It is a matter of some regret that … the BBC should choose to undermine the reputation of Question Time by giving a platform to a small, self-selecting group distinguished mainly by its absurd claim to represent Christians in this country." As a result of similar complaints from members of the public, the BBC reviewed its policies towards the group and stopped inviting it on its programmes.