Ministry News

More ‘Marginalization’ of English Christians

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Tuesday, 17 February 2009 11:42

Almost two-thirds of leaders within the Church of England believe that British Christians face discrimination at work because of their faith. An additional 60 percent say the deterioration of religious rights has occurred over the last decade under the United Kingdom's socialist-leaning Labour Party.

"What we are witnessing on a monthly, if not weekly basis here in the U.K. is a strategic, highly politicized marginalization of Christianity in the public arena," said Paul Eddy, a member of the diocese in Winchester.

Leaders from various sectors of the Anglican church met last week in London to discuss, among other things, the rapidly changing culture that is suppressing religious liberties among Christians. After admonishing the group not to "allow ourselves to be marginalized," Nezlin Sterling, the general secretary of the New Testament Assembly, warned, "I am of the belief that we in the church are so anxious to be politically correct that we on occasions forget to reflect on whether our actions are Christ-correct."

The survey comes on the heels of two high-profile cases in England in which a community nurse and a school receptionist both faced disciplinary action for involving prayer while on the job. Late last year, veteran nurse Caroline Petrie was suspended for offering to pray for an elderly patient. After almost two months, hospital officials reinstated Petrie two weeks ago, adding that nurses did not have to "set aside their faith" in the workplace.

That hasn't been the case for Jennie Cain, however. A receptionist at her daughter's elementary school, Cain sent a personal e-mail to 10 friends asking for prayer after her 5-year-old daughter was reprimanded for talking to a classmate about God and heaven during class. When the e-mail found its way to the school's headmaster, Cain was promptly suspended while officials launched an investigation into her actions. [telegraph.co.uk, 2/13-15/09; timesonline.co.uk, 2/7/09]