Why Christians Should Not Have Gone Silent in the Case of Enoch Burke

I’m sure I don’t need to further identify the title character who has now somehow reached the dizzying heights of headlines in most of the UK news media. Enoch Burke has become a household name being ridiculed by most but admired, mostly quietly, by some who are probably just glad they haven’t ended up in the same situation.

It might seem funny to create St Patrick's Day floats and design Mother’s Day cards with cartoon images of Burke forlornly standing outside the school from which he has now been dismissed, but this is a family man and an evangelical Christian who, despite the devastating consequence, has chosen to stand up for what he believes is right.

For those who haven’t kept up, the bizarre set of circumstances that has now resulted in Burke not only being sacked as a teacher but also imprisoned and subject to an ever increasing daily fine, began last year when he refused to call a “transgender” child by their preferred pronouns. Quite rightly, Burke stated that he was unable to comply because such an action conflicted with his Christian beliefs.

You might have thought that, at this stage, the principal of the school would take some time to consider the wisest way forward as even a simpleton knows that gender/sex and religion are both protected from discrimination under the Equality and Human Rights Act.

 Instead, he was immediately suspended, an action which would usually only occur if keeping someone in a workplace caused an unacceptable risk of further harm. Another reason might be to prevent someone tampering with evidence or to prevent them interfering with the investigation. None of these apply to this scenario which leads to the conclusion that no investigation was intended and the decision had been made to dismiss him immediately without due process. (I’m sure this aspect will be picked up and challenged when the furore dies down.)

So far, nothing particularly spectacular as sadly we are seeing daily reports of Christians being suspended, then sacked in similar situations across the UK. It’s worth mentioning that many of these people have later received compensation or been reinstated, usually after lengthy court battles, but the emotional damage is catastrophic for the individuals and their families.

In many ways, I’m grateful that my own small scrape with the politically correct brigade took place 15 years ago when gay and transgender rights didn’t trump all others; my police force did drag me through a disciplinary procedure but didn’t suspend me. For the full story you can read Planet Police.

Enoch Burke, however, wasn’t going to meekly take his unfair punishment; despite the suspension, he turned up at the school daily insisting on his “right to work”. The school obtained a court order banning him from the premises, he continued his protest, was arrested and then imprisoned for contempt of court. His brother has now also been arrested for a public order offence after protesting at one of his appeal hearings. What a muddle….but is he right?

I don’t think we can be dogmatic one way or the other about Burke’s response to his suspension. If he honestly believes that God has placed him in that workplace and he is taking a stand for something that conflicts with his beliefs, then it is a conscience issue for him. You could say that the disciples, whose work was preaching the Gospel, refused to stop in order to obey God rather than men. They too were imprisoned and many were martyred for their faith.

However, Christians can and should be dogmatic about the original cause of the suspension. We should challenge cultural pressure that seeks to force us to sin; to lie and state that a girl is actually a boy or a man a woman. We shouldn’t withdraw from the debate, hide away or stay silent when Christian freedoms are at stake.  

Health professionals are being forced to change patient records when they change gender which is actually the crime of falsifying records under current UK law. It’s also potentially damaging to patients who won’t be picked up for the various gender specific cancer screenings, or whose medical condition might be misunderstood without the true information.

The trend is continuing; a street preacher was arrested for “misgendering” someone who approached him and asked his views on the LGBT movement. Incredibly, he was convicted at Magistrates Court before his conviction was later quashed on appeal. The most worrying thing about this case was the hounding and abuse of the preacher by the crowd who largely seemed to support the view that he had committed a homophobic hate crime simply by speaking the truth.

Another headline this week stated that teachers are tiptoeing around as they are afraid of saying something that will cause them to end up like Enoch Burke. Those of us who are Christians must stand up and be counted, or it won’t be long before we too fall foul of the same cultural swing that took away his livelihood and freedom.

So often our Christian lives are comfortable and we get along with everyone. Is this harmony only because we are afraid to speak out? Is it because we haven’t even identified ourselves as Christians let alone taken a stand on anything important? Are we more worried about offending people than speaking the truth in love? What about the eternal destiny of those around us; have we offered true hope in Jesus?  

We should remember that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3 vs 12)

I’m sure that’s Enoch Burke’s heart desire. Let’s pray for him and his family as he deals with the fallout.

Why a Christian Can't Just Leave Their Faith at Home

There’s been a lot of discussion in the media recently about Donald Trump’s expected appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the US Supreme Court. The comments in the secular press, certainly in Britain, have been overwhelmingly negative due to Ms Barrett’s views on abortion influenced by her Catholic faith.

A similar thing happened in the UK a few years ago when MP Jacob Rees-Mogg was questioned about his views on abortion and homosexuality. Just prior to this he had been the up and coming posh but trendy MP who appealed to a wide demographic. His Catholic views, however, suddenly made him unpalatable. People seemed to assume that he needed educating or that he would apologise and back down realising his mistake. Instead, he suggested that a new form of bigotry was emerging against Christians. It was suggested to him that he would never be able to hold high office in Britain with his views as they were unacceptable to a vast swathe of the population.

Most people are surprised to hear that Christians up and down the country are facing intolerance and discrimination on a daily basis. They reject the idea that Christians are becoming a side-lined minority because they still think we live in a Christian country. A lot of people with no faith to speak of still class themselves as Christians and still ask what group/denomination you are part of if you express anything beyond mere intellectual assent to a vague belief in God. They class such people as extreme or suggest that they take their religion too seriously.

When pointing out that Christians are now regularly silenced and sacked, and occasionally prosecuted for their biblical beliefs, people initially may be sympathetic. However, when gay marriage or homosexuality, abortion or creation are mentioned, they change their tune and either fall silent indicating passive disapproval or denounce such views openly. They advise that things have moved on, society has progressed and that science has proven that people don’t have a choice about some of these things.

Others tell Christians that it’s okay to hold these views privately but that they should never bring them to work. They are told that they must not allow their Christian views to influence decisions in the workplace. They are told that they cannot express religious opinions. They are banned from purchasing stalls at public markets if they are intending to sell or distribute Christian books.

Just last week a friend of mine who had been told he was making a positive contribution to an open public market with his potter’s wheel display, was suddenly banned because he was giving away Christian books. He was told he couldn’t even share his own story of conversion as he showed people how to make pots. In essence, he was gagged and rejected. The authorities wanted the feel good factor of people being able to learn a new skill, but not the real message of hope in Jesus that can permanently transform broken lives. How tragic.

The expectation that Christians can somehow divorce themselves from what they believe and then continue as if they were atheists whilst at work is evidence of a fundamental misunderstanding of what a Christian is.

A Christian is a new creation, they have been rescued from their sin and born again to a new life with a new Master. They are living for a new life, beyond this one, in Heaven with Jesus. They won’t conform to the world or embrace secular values. They cannot adopt views that are acceptable to the masses if they go against what is clearly stated in the Bible which is God’s Word. They won’t change what they believe or soften their stance on controversial issues. If they do and are ashamed of Jesus, He says that He will be ashamed of them when He returns.

A true Christian cannot and will not leave their faith at home because it is who they are. They likely believe they have been placed by God in their workplace to influence those around them by their words and behaviour. How can they do this if they are no different to their peers, if they don’t stand up for what they believe when the opportunity arises?

Would you ask someone to cut off an arm or leg or to wear a gag or blindfold in order to go to work? Of course not. Yet, the expectation that a Christian can leave their faith at home is no different to this ridiculous suggestion. This is why Christians would rather lose their jobs, their homes and everything else than deny their Lord.

Many stories of Christians being discriminated against quietly slip from public attention but are regularly highlighted by organisations like the Christian Institute and Christian Legal Centre who are working tirelessly to defend them.

Are we really a tolerant, democratic country or do we just support freedom of expression and conscience when it suits our purposes?

Ashers Bakery in Supreme Court Today #supportashers #freespeech

I have been monitoring the Asher's bakery case in the UK since the story first made headlines. For those that don’t keep up to date, Asher's is a bakery, in Northern Ireland, owned by the McArthur family, who are Christians. They were asked  by a gay activist to bake a cake for a gay wedding containing a slogan indicating support for gay marriage. They declined on the basis that the message conflicted with their Christian beliefs about gay marriage. They were taken to court, not by the gay activist, but by the tax payer funded Equality Commission, primarily for discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. The bakery is being supported by the Christian Institute.

I found it especially interesting that the people jumping to defend Asher's were in most cases non-Christians who were concerned about the potential impact on freedom of expression. Maybe this is not surprising as many Christians don’t seem to be able to make up their minds where they stand on this issue with comments like, “I don’t really know what to think about this,” and other such bland statements appearing on social media platforms. But the absence of comment from many Christians is just as concerning. Maybe they feel that their faith is a private matter, or maybe they just resolve to do whatever it takes not to find themselves in a similar situation. I don’t really know the reason for the eerie silence.

I think what many are forgetting is that Asher's didn’t in any way choose to make global headlines or to be thrust suddenly into the public eye by their stance, and I’m sure did not intend to be controversial, or to upset anybody. They were simply trying to live their Christian lives in peace as a godly witness in an increasingly secular country. They have been forced to defend their Christian faith in a tax-payer funded court case which has really been a disgrace from the outset. I followed the case in disbelief at first, thinking that at some stage the craziness would come to an end. It eventually concluded with Asher's being found GUILTY.  After my initial shock and disbelief, I grew increasingly confident that the judgement MUST be reversed on appeal as the negative consequences for so many areas of public life would be staggering otherwise, and not just for Christians.

I am writing to highlight the many incredibly profound statements that have been made by the McArthur family throughout their trial, and to encourage continued support and prayer for them, That they have been able to maintain their Christian witness and dignity at “such a time as this” is a remarkable testimony to non-believers, and I hope will convict those Christians who feel that faith is a private matter that needs to be kept hidden. 

Statements like: “We feel that the Word of God is of much more importance than the words of the Equality Commission,” have a profound ring of truth to them. On hearing this, I was ashamed to recall the times as a Christian where I had been afraid to take a stand because of a secular authority, or person, and their potential reaction. But really, if God is God, and the Bible is God’s Word then why aren’t we all taking a leaf out of the McArthur's book and standing up for what we believe. Is it really okay that a Christian should be forced to violate their sincerely held Christian beliefs by doing some action that they know will offend a holy God? Who are we serving and who is our Master?

The McArthur's are providing a great example to all of us as Christians, as even when they were no doubt devastated by the outcome of the court case, they still released statements firmly reiterating their faith in God and His plans for their future.  Even that they were “happy” to be part of His plan!

“It doesn’t change how we feel about God and it doesn’t change anything about why we took our stand, we don’t regret that for one minute. And we believe God has a plan for the future and whatever that will be we are happy to be in His plans.”

Asher's was also contacted and encouraged by a Christian bakery in the USA in similar circumstances and facing a hefty legal bill. They now join the minority of Christians who have stood against secularism in the UK and abroad including:

1.       The B and B owners who refused to allow a gay couple to share a double bed.

2.       The Doctor who was sacked after 30 years of practice for offering to pray for a patient.

3.       The Judge who was investigated for refusing to place a child for adoption with a gay couple.

4.       The Registrar who refused to marry same sex couples.

5.       The Nurse who was investigated for wearing a cross to work.

6.       The Taxi driver who was investigated for a Christian symbol in his taxi.

7.       The lady who was investigated for offering to pray for a Muslim colleague.

8.       The street preachers that have been arrested for quoting Bible verses and thereby “offending” people.

9.       The parents who complained that their 5 year old had been told he wasn’t allowed to read his Bible in his free time whilst at school.

10.   The students and hotel visitors who stood against their universities and hotels banning Bibles from the rooms.

There are no doubt many more that haven’t made the national news and others who have quietly accepted their predicament and resigned without a fuss knowing that God will bless them for their failure to compromise.

I think we need to remember that this is not about politics or political activism. I would agree that Christians should avoid getting too bogged down in politics as a life focus. These people are defending Christian liberties. If they don’t, then ultimately Christian freedoms will be eroded to the point that there will be no legal evangelism. Christians need to take a stand on this issue and remember the words of Jesus;

”If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” Mark 8 vs 38 (NIV)

(NB I am grateful to the Christian Institute for a lot of the facts. Please visit their website to keep up to date The Christian Institute)