Despite prior intense media speculation that Rishi Sunak was considering shelving plans for the introduction of a ban on prayer and ministry seen as ‘conversion therapy’, The Guardian reports this attack on Christian freedom is back on the table and could be included in the King’s Speech scheduled for 7th November 2023.
However, a post on X/Twitter suggests Miriam Cates MP is organising a Tory campaign against such a ban. We have less than two weeks to pray and act for biblical truth:
Email your MP using the Parliament link HERE →
When writing to or emailing your MP, use the arguments here if you wish, but most importantly, express your opposition to a ban in your own words. Posting a letter to your MP at ‘House of Commons, LONDON, SW1A 0AA’ is even more effective.
Sign our petition: Defend
‘Gay Conversion Therapy’ →
What is ‘conversion therapy’?
Astonishingly, no-one can define ‘gay conversion therapy’ or say where it is happening. Electric shock therapy hasn’t been offered here for fifty years, so is it just people chatting to one another? Is it prayer and ministry for those who want to be free of same-sex desires? Is it explaining to a girl that climbing trees does not make you a boy?
Some campaigners, including the professional CofE lesbian Jayne Ozanne, have called for a conversion therapy ban to include ‘a broad range of settings’. The professed Christian says these would even include church environments and Christian camps. Whether it does so explicitly or not, such a measure would be a major assault on Christian liberties and human rights, notably freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of assembly. Legal counsel will already be queuing up to mount legal challenges on those grounds.
The scriptural position is that such freedoms are not handed down by the state in any case. Our duty to preach the Gospel, save the lost, heal the sick and deliver the oppressed are commanded by our Lord himself and the apostles. (See our ‘Read’ points below’)
Ask us to come and speak at your church →
What this ban means
A ban on talking about sexual or gender issues could mean that Christians, pastors, religious leaders, teachers, psychiatric professionals, parents and even friends could be prosecuted for attempting to put children on the right track or offering counselling sessions through prayers and the word of God.
Furthermore, a ban would remove God-given rights and duties from parents who truly want the best for their children. What authority does the state possess to monitor prayer and deliverance? Or is it the mere suggestion that someone might not want to remain homosexual that offends the activists? Could the omission of a ‘trans’ ban mean that ‘gender reassignment’ with hormones and surgical mutilation is not the marvellous thing the likes of Stonewall and Mermaids pretend?
In addition, schools are now awash with pro-gay and pro-trans ideology, as our previous articles reveal. No doubt there is a spiritual dimension to their campaigns and even to such feelings.
Conversion therapy vs ‘trans’ advice
There is a clear distinction between two possible levels of alleged ‘conversion therapy’.
For homosexuality, it would mean supportive and consensual prayer and counselling for unwanted same-sex desires or confusion over a person’s sexual ‘orientation’.
For ‘gender dysphoria’ it would be advising someone, probably an adolescent, who is dissatisfied with his/her sex as discerned (not ‘assigned’!) at birth that it will be better to accept how the good Lord has made them, rather than go on the ‘trans pathway’ of irreversible hormones and surgical mutilation.
However, the British Psychological Society (BPS) , NHS England and the Royal College of Psychiatrists all claim that all types of ‘conversion therapy’ are ‘unethical and potentially harmful’, as if the trans pathway isn’t. Their position appears not to be evidence-based but adopted as a result of pro-gay activism against or within those institutions.
‘Affirmative’ approach to ‘gender dysphoria’
In recent times, a perspective known as the ‘affirmative’ approach to ‘gender dysphoria’ has emerged within clinical settings, including the contentious Tavistock Clinic within the NHS. When dealing with cases of what they call ‘gender dysphoria,’ this approach tells clinicians merely to validate a child’s ‘self-identified gender identity’ instead of raising questions or looking for possible psychological background. Perhaps the child is on the autism spectrum. Perhaps they are having difficulty accepting the normal process of puberty..
Subsequently, despite any underlying emotional problems, the affirmative trans pathway leads to placing the child on a medical course of action that may result in lifelong and irreversible consequences. It is important to note that these interventions, whether hormone therapy or the inevitable ‘gender reaffirming’ surgery, have significant, permanent effects. Boys are prevented from growing up. Girls end up with deepened voices and start growing facial hair.
There have been published reports of teenagers who now regret what their lives turned out to be, having undergone ‘treatment’ for ‘gender dysphoria’. Some have taken legal action against the Tavistock. And although the latter is now set to close, such is the pro-trans attitude in NHS Trusts that its hydra-headed replacements are sure to perpetuate what will be seen in years to come as a major medical scandal.
We are talking about young boys having their private parts inverted, needing constant insertion of objects with artificial lubrication to keep the constructed passage open. Read here about the tragedy of Jazz Jennings, whose mental health issues after ‘gender reassignment’ have led to binge eating, a weight gain of 7 stone and an inability to form any kind of adult relationship. We are also talking about girls having double mastectomies of healthy breasts with the resulting surplus skin cut to place their nipple approximately when a man’s would be. Read here about Sinead Watson’s bitter regrets. It is heartbreaking that a constitutionally Christian country would permit such barbarism.
How common is conversion therapy?
UK-wide “LGBT” Survey in 2018, about 5% of the 108,000 respondents said they had been offered some undefined form of conversion therapy, while 2% had undergone it.
About 10% of Christian respondents and 20% of Muslims said they had undergone or been offered conversion therapy, whatever it was, compared to 6% of those with no religion.
More than half of those who had received the ‘therapy’ said it had been conducted by a faith group, while a fifth received it from healthcare professionals.
Who wants ‘conversion therapy’ banned?
“LGBTQ” lobby group, Stonewall clearly campaigns against ‘conversion therapy’. It claims that there is nothing therapeutic about the process of convincing or talking people out of either having same-sex relationships or attempting to ‘change gender’. Stonewall claim ‘conversion therapy’ is an abuse, again, with no evidence of what it is that is happening, if anything.
According to the organisation, ‘more than 1.5 million “LGBTQ+” people in England and Wales remain ‘at risk’ of the attempt they again describe as ‘harmful attempts to cure us’.
The pro-gay and pro-trans activists call, as one might expect, for ‘a clear and concrete timetable from the UK Government’ ‘No more delays. No more loopholes. Time is running out,’ they add, mysteriously. Once more, it is the concept that someone might not want to be gay or might reject the trans pathway which is bothering them. Make no mistake, this is a spiritual war.
The Biblical position
Christian Voice strongly opposes any ban on conversion therapy. Freedom to prayer and talk is God’given and the hallmark of a civilised society. Stopping children from ‘transitioning’ is essential. There should be no ban on helping children come to terms with the sex they were born as and no ban or prayer and counselling.
We maintain that it would infringe not just human rights but the teachings of the Bible, which places sexual activity solely inside heterosexual marriage and warns against thinking better than our Creator.
Further, the Evangelical Alliance, which represents 3,500 churches, also agrees that a ban could jeopardise religious freedoms.
However, the Church of England, sadly sold out to secularism, and blind to the medical abuse of the ‘trans pathway’, says prayer or counselling has ‘no place in the modern world’.
Read our previous articles:
Tavistock to Face Legal Action →
Costa promotes mutilation as Government delays schools “transgender” guidance →
Schools adopt gender-neutral uniforms to allow pupils to “self-identify” →
Tory MP to introduce a “sex education transparency” Bill →
Transgender teenager dies after vaginoplasty surgery →
UK Govt faces legal action over RSE →
Mutilation ruins girl’s life →
‘Heartbroken’ father sues NHS to stop autistic son’s sex change →
Gay Conversion Therapy ban? Here come the Thought Police →
Read and Pray
Gen 1:27-28, 2:24; Lev 20:13, Deut 6:6-7; Prov 16:12, 25:5, 29:14; Isa 29:16, 45:9-10; Ezek 16:49-50; Matt 9:12; 10:8, 17:21, 18:1-10, 19:4-6; Mark 9:29, 10:6-8, 16:15; Luke 5:31, 9:2, 10:9; Rom 1:25-27; 1Cor 6:9; Gal 5:19; Eph 6:4; Col 3:5; 2Tim 4:2-4; Heb 13:4; 1John 3:7-8.
Pray that people will sign our petition and write to their MP regarding the issue. Thank God for those MPs lending their voices to safeguard both children and basic freedom.
Pray that God will grant victory and no ‘conversion therapy’ ban will be in the King’s Speech on 7th November. Continue to pray without ceasing for our leaders to repent, for God’s institution of the family to be honoured and for our children to be protected.
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Thanks for raising the awareness of this threat to freedom and the Christian faith. The give away to the real agenda is the word ‘conversion’. The forces behind the conversion therapy ban want to have a complete conversion ban, ie they want a ban on converting people from one belief or none, to the Christian faith. No one should be in any doubt about this.
I forgot to add – we need to be very carful. A typical tactic of the forces against us is to lead us into a false sense of achievement. satan’s forces like to do this; then when we think we are safe, they spring the same evil that we thought we had defeated on to us – so we need to be on our guard.
I have heard that a Private Member’s Bill is being put forward with no opposition from the government, to do the conversion ban. This is what I feared.
However, in view of what has happened over the last few days it is clear that the hand of God’s judgment is upraised against this anti-family, anti-Christian, anti-freedom, anti-decency, government. The government does not represent the people of this country and is now just mocking us. We will have to see how long God is prepared to put up with it.
I am with Jeremiah – and not the often quoted reassuring texts in Ch29 and 31, which seem to be only applicable if we are in exile. This country is in judgment and I would prepare for our removal/dismissal from the land, or the coming of Jesus Christ first.
We shall watch out for this bill or amendment. I think we see Jer 29:5-7 as instructions for Christian people in any situation. After all, do we not feel like aliens in a strange land? We can either moan about it and wish evil on it (Psalm 137) or pray for it and its leaders and work to prosper and be increased in it, as the prophet and the apostles instructed.