Bishops Warn New E.U. Directive Could Silence Christian Voices

Roman Catholic leaders in the U.K. have warned that a proposed E.U. Directive could become an ”instrument of oppression.” The Bishops warned of danger to religious freedom in Europe, should the directive be passed.

In a joint press release, the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and that of Scotland responded to a consultation on the proposed E.U. directive by the U.K. government. The Bishops’ said in their statement, if the Directive were implemented:

The EU would effectively be dictating to religious bodies what their faith does or does not require: a wholly unacceptable position.

According to The Christian Institute, the Most Reverend Peter Smith, Archbishop of Cardiff, warned there were:

Serious concerns about possible unintended consequences, which could have the effect of limiting the right of the Church and its members to act in accordance with Catholic belief.

The planned Directive would add a ”harassment” clause to existing equality legislation, which all E.U. countries would have to include in their laws. This could allow people to claim as ”harassment” such things as Christian paintings or a Christian sermon. The joint statement says the new clause could create situations that would not allow freedom of conscience. Referring to a clause on equal access to goods and services, the statement says:

It is not clear whether ”goods and services” would apply to the activities of a Catholic priest, if, as recently occurred, he were to refuse to take a booking for a Church Hall from a group of witches.

Because the current form of the E.U. directive allows people to claim ”harassment,” defined as:

Unwanted conduct … with the purpose or effect of violating the dignity of a person and or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment,

They say the burden of proof is reversed, so that anyone may declare himself or herself offended:

Homosexual groups campaigning for same sex marriage may declare themselves offended by the presentation of the Catholic Church’s moral teaching on homosexual acts, Catholics may declare themselves offended by a ‘Gay Pride’ march, an atheist may be offended by religious pictures in art gallery, a Muslim may be offended by any picture representing the human form.

The proposed legislation has been criticized from as far afield as the United States. Professor William Wagner, an ethics and Constitutional Law professor at the Cooley Law School and a former U.S. federal judge warns in the U.K. website Christian Concern For Our Nation that Christian in Europe might well be forced into silence, into acting against their consciences or even into breaking the law, all in the name of fighting ”discrimination.” Wagner added:

Censuring an idea simply because the idea is informed by a religious worldview, prevents thousands of years of wisdom from informing the civic ethic. A citizen who attempts to inform the civic ethic should not be punished or persecuted simply because the citizen’s ideas are informed by sincerely held Christian truths.

Is it possible that in the E.U., a place that prides itself on its morality and stands in judgement on the use of the death penalty in the U.S. or over African dictators, that Christians will once again be persecuted? Only the future can tell.