English bishop fears government’s anti-extremism policy could turn against Christians
August 01, 2017
A British government program designed to discourage religious extremism could affect Christians, the Catholic bishop of Shrewsbury warns.
“Britons now regard the claims of Christianity and even the person of Jesus Christ as representing extremism,” says Bishop Mark Davis. He cautions that Christianity itself “might become a focus of the government’s counter-extremism agenda.”
Citing polls that show a large minority of the country’s population look upon Christian faith as a form of extremism, Bishop Davis called for careful reflection on what extremism really means. He said:
There is a destructive extremism we ought to fear, one which seeks not only to deconstruct marriage and the family, but the very identity of the human person, which calls for medical experimentation with no reference to ethical boundaries, that decrees the unborn may live only to terms fixed by man, demands legal protections be removed from the sick and the aged.
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Posted by: [email protected] -
Aug. 04, 2017 3:18 PM ET USA
This law is being set up to abuse Christians and Christianity in general. Watch those who call for its use. It will not take long. God help us.
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Posted by: Randal Mandock -
Aug. 03, 2017 9:05 AM ET USA
Extremism in the pursuit of the good is no vice. Moderation in the pursuit of the same is no virtue. (Cf. Barry Goldwater)
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Posted by: -
Aug. 02, 2017 5:18 PM ET USA
Faithful Catholics are devout in their love of Jesus Christ and His teachings by how they practice their faith. They adhere to the truths of the faith.
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Posted by: rpp -
Aug. 02, 2017 9:18 AM ET USA
The very purpose and intent of the law is to outlaw Christianity. It will not be enforced against Islam.
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Posted by: Jim Hanink -
Aug. 01, 2017 8:35 PM ET USA
Yes, well said. A further point: Let's also be careful about charging people with being fundamentalists.
