The Christian Institute and prominent legal cases supported by the Legal Defence Fund have featured in a BBC documentary.
‘The Battle for Christianity’ saw the Institute’s Deputy Director, Simon Calvert, declare that the future for the church was following the Bible, not imitating society.
The cases of Ashers Baking Company and B&B owners Peter and Hazelmary Bull also featured on the programme, which aired last night.
Follow Christ
Mr Calvert said: “The way forward is not for the church to simply imitate the society around us, the way forward is for the church to be the church – to follow Christ, to follow the teachings of the Bible.”
The way forward is not for the church to simply imitate the society around us, the way forward is for the church to be the church
Simon Calvert
The programme showed Daniel and Amy McArthur – who run Ashers Baking Company – speaking about their faith in the context of the ‘gay cake’ case in Northern Ireland.
Daniel encouraged Christians not to be afraid to stand for their faith, noting that his family had known God’s grace in difficult times.
Marginalised
Hazelmary Bull, who was sued because of her B&B’s policy of only allowing married couples to share a double bed, was also quoted on the programme, saying that she felt Christianity was being marginalised in Britain.
‘The Battle for Christianity’ was presented by Professor Robert Beckford, and was advertised as considering how “immigration, radical social action, conservative morality and charismatic worship are transforming the face of Christianity in this country”.
The programme is available on BBC iPlayer until the middle of April.
The Christian Institute’s Legal Defence Fund helps with the costs of legal action and the associated campaign work in cases of national significance for religious liberty.
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