Good sense from the European Court of Human Rights

Once again, claims by Christians for exemption from laws which affect everyone have been thrown out by the European Court of Human Rights. There is a consistent pattern in such cases. It is very rare for them to be upheld. One would hope that the message would be sinking in and that further expenditure on legal representation would be avoided. And yet it seems there may be another appeal.

It is very sad that there are Christians who do not seem to realise that the secular law provides protection for everyone - it is fundamentally based on that premise. There is no requirement for Christians to wear particular items of jewellery and therefore if an employer, for very good reasons, has a rule that jewellery may not be worn at work, everyone must abide by it - even Christians.

Indeed I would argue that Christians are called to set their own interests aside for the greater good. "If you want to come with me, " says Jesus, "forget yourself, carry your cross and follow me…" The cross he refers to is not a silver one worn around the neck! This is about carrying the burden of the consequences of following the path of Christ. This is not say that we Christians are to roll over and allow our faith to be ignored without response. Of course not. But it is about raising our eyes to the horizon and seeing a bigger picture.

If we are to be Christ to the world, then we must stop trying to separate ourselves from that world and, instead, engage with it. There is a danger that the populace at large will only see Christianity through the prism of these court cases and so think that those who persist with such legal action are representative of all Christians. They are not! Many of us rejoice in the protection that the secular state affords to all, regardless of race or creed or sexuality or any other aspect of our common humanity. We thank God for it and our task is to learn to live positively in the gloriously diverse society that is Britain today.

Revd Iain McDonald
Southernhay Church, Dix's Field, Exeter, EX1 1QA